


A Simple Suggestion

by frostedpuffs



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: ...slliiiiight sin?, Apartment sharing, Awkward Flirting, Chat Noir/Ladybug Fluff, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fake Dating, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, IDENTITY SHENANIGANS, LadyNoir - Freeform, Lots of the Fluffiness, Roommates, Sexual Tension, Tags will be added as the fic goes on, a difficult task especially for those who like to cuddle, and two superheroes falling in love, bad puns....chat being a dork....puns...cats...all those good things, bed sharing, kissies, literally just a bunch of best friend fluff, rating may be changed but that depends, silly ideas which are so silly at first then all of a sudden not so silly, small little thing based on a dream I had where Chat Noir and Ladybug lived in an apartment together, trying to keep identities a secret while living together, what more could you need in life honestly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2018-10-03 07:42:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 92,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10239287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostedpuffs/pseuds/frostedpuffs
Summary: Chat Noir was no stranger to a difficult home life—Ladybug knew that more than anyone. When he jokingly suggests that life would be easier for the both of them if they were roommates, the two of them freeze like ice in the midnight air, breath caught between them as the notion hits them full force. It drifts through their thoughts in silence until they decide that perhaps, in a world where impossible things are plausible, the idea wouldn't be such a bad one.So, with a skip in their steps and an entirely new kind of excitement brewing in their chests, the two find themselves considering something neither of them had ever before: moving in together. The tricky part is still keeping their identities a secret.When feelings become muddled and embarrassing thoughts cross between two people and one, both Marinette and Adrien have a hard time finding exactly where their affections lie, even as they begin to form a deeper bond with the one person they never expected would find a path into their heart.





	1. A Joke

**Author's Note:**

> So I had a dream last night. A dream that Ladybug and Chat Noir moved out of their homes into a studio apartment together so they could be around each other and get to akuma attacks quickly and always be alert.
> 
> But they never detransformed??? They were always suited up and just lived together like two best friends and kept the city safe.
> 
> So naturally I wrote it.
> 
> (Might continue this eventually too.)

It had started out as a joke.

Chat Noir had thrown the idea into the air one night when they'd taken a break from patrol. The city was quiet, the breeze that danced through the open sky was refreshing, and the laughter that had accompanied his voice had made Marinette smile all too wide.

"What if we moved in together?" he'd asked with a nervous twitch of his tail, "I've been preparing to move out for a while, but... I don't know. Something about the thought of living alone makes me nervous."

"You mean-" Marinette's eyes widened. "Us? Move in together? Like, Ladybug and Chat Noir living together?"

"Yeah," Chat laughed. "What if?"

At first, she'd given her partner nothing more than a chuckle and a dismissive pat on the shoulder, shaking her head at the simple notion. It had been such a funny thing for him to suggest that the giggles that rose from her throat had been too hard to suppress. Even if she secretly didn't despise the idea, she knew it would never work out. How could it? Their identities needed to stay secret. That was the most important rule, Tikki had said.

It wasn’t possible! Things would be too difficult, too confusing, too risky...

"How would we even manage that?" she asked, swinging her legs over the ledge of the apartment complex they had paused upon and taking in a breath of the atmosphere. She could detect a small hint of food cooking somewhere, and in the distance music played, which added to the comforting ambiance of the city she adored so much. "We'd just walk around in our own home transformed, like it was a completely normal thing?"

Chat Noir offered a shrug, looking a tad sheepish. "Hah, yeah, I guess that does sound kind of stupid."

A frown replaced Marinette's smile. She felt a small hint of guilt for her previous comment. "Well," she said in an attempt to fix her blunder. "I don't know about _stupid_ …"

"It would probably be weird," Chat continued. "And awkward at times... And it wouldn't be easy…"

Marinette nodded.

"...But I dunno," he sighed, shifting his gaze, "part of me thinks we'd be able to make it work."

Allowing the thought to process, Marinette tapped her finger along the aged paneling of the roof they sat upon, teeth nibbling on her bottom lip as she sought for a reply.

 _Would_ they be able to make it work?

After all, she'd been thinking about moving out of the bakery soon due to space, and she didn't like the idea of living alone either... And Alya was already sharing an apartment Nino in California because of his record deal, so that wouldn’t be plausible.

What if… What if they  _could_  make this work?

 _No, it’s a terrible idea,_  she told herself, nearly rolling her eyes at her own impulsiveness.  _It would never work._

But if it  _did..._

"Maybe," Marinette said, a hint of humor in her voice. "But we'd be together all the time, and I can't exactly picture myself cooking dinner wearing a skin-tight suit. Even if it would protect me from burns."

Chat supplied a small snort of laughter at her statement. "I guess that's a bonus. Would living together be so weird, though?"

Marinette opened her mouth to answer with a _"yes, of course!"_ , but paused as she couldn't exactly find an explanation _why_ it would be so odd for them to live together under those circumstances. Sure, it'd feel a bit off to walk around an apartment with her suit on, but by now Marinette was used to wearing polka-dots for long hours. She felt more natural in her transformation than she ever had seven years prior when she was fourteen, freshly new to the world of superheroes and saving the city, and for a brief second the thought that maybe Chat's idea wasn't such a stupid one passed her mind.

It would be a hell of a lot more convenient for the both of them. They wouldn't have to worry about when the other would show up during akuma attacks, or struggle going through a battle alone while one of them was on their way.

(Or, on the rare occurrence that a certain Ladybug slept through the akuma alarms during a rather difficult attack, Chat Noir wouldn’t have to suffer through another hour of holding a violet butterfly in his paws and panicking over what he should do with it.)

A small grin twitched at the corner of Marinette's mouth before a second thought passed her mind, causing the hint of a smile to fall.

She knew Chat Noir was dying to get out of his house. Twenty-one years old and still suffocating under the watchful eye of his parents (parent?), Chat often expressed his sorrows about his home life with a forlorn sigh. Though he never delved too deeply into personal details, Marinette could tell just by the carefully worded sentences that he was having a tough time staying happy in the house he'd lived in since he was a baby.

And, although she couldn't relate, Marinette did feel for her friend. There were often times where she had considered begging Tikki to let them reveal their identities to each other just so she could take Chat Noir to the bakery and gift him a place to live that he looked forward to coming home to.

(Too many nights had she found Chat patrolling the city when there hadn't been a scheduled patrol, after all.)

And now the words were on the tip of her tongue; the confirmation she knew her partner was secretly hoping for notwithstanding the fact that he was writing it off as a joke. A joke that tugged at his lips in a sort of dejected smile that did not— _would_ not—reach his eyes.

"I wonder how that would work," Marinette whispered, eyes falling to the city streets below. Cars trailed lazily down the two-way street in a pale river of yellow lights. "Maybe we _could_ make it work."

One of Chat's velvet ears twitched against his hair. His eyes met hers for a fleeting moment. Even in the second of shared eye contact Marinette could see the tiny spark of hope that glowed within them, and she couldn't stop the smile that began to spread across her face.

Maybe they could move in together. Sure, she'd have to talk to Tikki about it first, and they'd have to find an inconspicuous apartment in the middle of the city together, and it would wouldn't be easy…

But...

But... No. That was just silly.

It was a silly, silly idea. It wouldn't work out. How would they keep their identities secret? How would they be able to live life as normal civilians and go about their daily duties—work, university, grocery shopping—without revealing themselves?

 _You'll never know until you try,_ a little voice peeped in the back of Marinette's mind. _What could be so bad about it?_

What could be so bad? Well, they could accidentally come home destransformed, or sleepwalk in their pajamas, or both walk up to the front door at the same time without their suits on, or, or-

Or... What?

All of those situations could easily be avoided. They could set rules. Marinette could make masks so they wouldn't have to be transformed all of the time, or they could turn out the lights every now and then. Or maybe they could set certain days where they would stay transformed so they could hang out.

Huh... The whole idea was beginning to seem a lot simpler than it had three minutes ago.

 _Yeah,_ Marinette replied to the earlier thought, _what could be so bad?_

She knew of plenty of things that could be bad, as her anxiety had ways of creating the most outlandish situations. For now, however, she ignored them.

Looking over to Chat Noir, Marinette smiled, giving his back (which was slumped over in a sad sort of way) a gentle pat. He responded by sitting up straight, a question on his lips and hope in his gaze, ears perked up in interest. They stared at each other for a breath or two before Marinette exploded into a fit of laughter. Her stomach clenched with the force of it.

Chat flinched at first, obviously surprised by her sudden outburst, but a second later he joined her in the ocean of giggles that had flooded between them. His smile was so wide that Marinette could see the white glint of his teeth and lovely crinkles around his eyes, as well as the shake of his shoulders and a single tear—whether it be from laughter or relief—that slid down his cheek.

And that was how a month later, Marinette Dupain-Cheng—Ladybug—twenty-one-year-old baker's daughter found herself transformed and heaving box after box into a two-bedroom apartment smack dab in the middle of Paris with Chat Noir trailing just a step behind her, placing a few of his own boxes on the wide, empty floor.

It had been a crazy, crazy idea.

But sometimes, Marinette knew, the craziest ideas were the best of all.


	2. A Discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir discuss their future living situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so...I actually wasn't planning on continuing this fic.  
> but here I am. continuing it. with a chapter that has 4k words.  
> ...enjoy :D

Telling her parents that she was ready to move out was the easy part.

The look on Tom and Sabine's faces had been proud yet somber when Marinette sat them down a week prior to confess that she'd been thinking about becoming more independent. Although she did relish in the love that her parents showered upon her day by day, and adored the cozy familiarity of her childhood home, Marinette knew life would be easier on her own.

(Well, as "on her own" as she could get living with her magical, spandex-clad superhero of a partner.)

Still, over the years dashing back and forth as Ladybug had become a bit of a problem. While her parents did go to bed rather early, they were delicate sleepers and woke to the slightest of noises. Prancing around the city all night and doing flips on her balcony (and accidentally smashing a potted plant or two in her landings) was a quick way to give them a startling awakening.

And, while they mostly allowed Marinette her privacy, they were a bit... _invasive._ So invasive at times that she had just destransformed by the skin of her teeth before they'd crashed through her trapdoor as if there was a fire burning in the kitchen, just to see how their precious daughter was doing.

It wasn't that she was ungrateful. Marinette loved her parents dearly and couldn't imagine life without them. She just...needed some personal space.

"So you're really moving out?" Sabine asked as they shared dinner at their table, Marinette poking at her food with her fork. "Are you at least going to stay close?"

"Of course," Marinette replied. She gave her mother a reassuring look and laid a hand over her own. "I won't go far, maman. Probably no more than thirty minutes away."

Tom and Sabine shared a concerned look. With a heavy sigh, Marinette's father patted her on the back and gave her a warm, encouraging smile. "Well, if this is what you want, we'll support it. We can even help you buy for some furniture and necessities, if you'd like."

Marinette beamed at her father's offer and immediately jumped out of her seat to wrap him in the biggest bear hug her tiny body could manage. "I would really appreciate it," she said, voice muffled as she buried her face in Tom's chest. "You guys are the best, you know that?"

Sabine laughed. "Oh, we know. There's a reason you grew up so great, Marinette."

Marinette giggled at her mother's comment and went to hug her as well, happy that breaking the news to them had gone smoothly. Part of her had been afraid that it would upset them and they would beg her to stay, but deep down she knew that her parents weren't like that. They wanted to support her and cheer her on in any way they could, and even if she wished to live on her own, they would still shower her with unadulterated love as they had since the day she was born.

"So," Tom began as Marinette returned to her seat and they resumed their dinner. "Were you planning on looking for a roommate, or living on your own?"

Marinette's eyes widened a fraction. Shit, well...she hadn't exactly expected them to ask her that before she'd figured out a way to explain the Chat Noir situation. "Um," she said, articulately, "well...I have. I know Alya and I always had plans to move in together when we were teenagers, but since she's living in California with Nino for his record deal for a while, that's out the window."

"Why not one of your other friends?" Sabine asked.

"I was thinking of moving in with one of my friends from…" Marinette's mind hit a blank. From what? She only knew Chat Noir from her superhero life, not her civilian one. "From, uh- from university. Or just looking around for anyone needing a roommate, you know?"

It would be easier to play it off as if Chat Noir was just someone she had met in one of her classes instead of a longtime friend her parent's knew, lest they wanted to ask them personally about the living situation. "I'm not sure yet. I know bills will be tough on my own, but I have a job now," she said. "I think I'll be okay for the most part."

"We hope so," Tom said, worry briefly flashing in his gaze. "If anything goes wrong, we'll be here to help you out. Don't be afraid to ask if you need it."

Sabine nodded. "That's right. If you're ever short on rent or need some time away from your place or anything-"

"I know," Marinette said with a grateful chuckle. "You'll be there for me. Thank you, maman. Thank you, Papa. I meant it when I said you guys are the best parents a girl could ask for."

Tom patted her on the back. "And you're the best daughter parents could dream of. Now, tell us about what kind of place you're looking for."

* * *

"I don't know what you're thinking, Marinette," Tikki chided, tiny arms crossed over her chest. "You and Chat Noir are supposed to keep your identities a secret for your own safety, and here you are planning to move in with him?"

Marinette frowned at her computer screen as she clicked the "next" button on a page of available apartments in her area. "I never said we had to reveal ourselves."

"Marinette…" Tikki sighed. "You know I have your best intentions in mind, and I love you, but I can't hold your transformation all day and night. That would be exhausting and frankly, quite dangerous."

"You wouldn't have to hold the transformation that long." Standing from her chair, Marinette walked over to the far side of her desk and opened one of the drawers, pulling out two pieces of stretchy-looking fabric. One was as black as the night sky, and the other was red adorned with inky spots. "See? I was going to make masks for us."

Tikki still seemed very uncomfortable with the idea, her antennae twitching reluctantly. "I trust you, Marinette, but...are you sure about this?"

Marinette snorted as she laid the fabric down. "To be honest, I'm not. But I know right now that life would be ten times easier if Chat and I lived on our own. You know he's got a bad home life, Tikki...and I can tell by the way he acts that he needs to get out of there as soon as he can. Besides…" A sigh fell from her lips. "How many times have we almost been caught here? I love my parents, but it's hard to hide things from them."

"So long as you know what you're doing," Tikki said. "I have faith you will make the right decision in the end."

"Thank you, Tikki." With a kiss to the kwami's head, Marinette sat back down and resumed her browsing. Some apartments were far too small for two people and came with outrageous expenses, and some were gigantic, with rent so low that it was concerning—a sign that the place perhaps wasn't in great shape. There were gorgeous apartments for great prices, but didn't allow any space for she and Chat Noir to safely detransform or even to be themselves—i.e., cramped.

Marinette knew what she was looking for. Someplace with enough space for two people with separate lives, wasn't overly expensive and offered them safe places to rid their transformations, all the while being towards the center of the city just in case an akuma attacked.

With a heavy groan, Marinette slumped onto her desk, flipping through page after page after page. She was too indecisive for this. If she was going to go apartment hunting, she needed Chat Noir—her roommate—by her side. He needed a say in where they lived as well; even if she knew he didn't mind the location all that much, so long as he had somewhere to go.

Sending the links of apartments that were appealing to her phone, Marinette stood and shut down her computer. She needed to transform and figure this out with Chat. It was just too difficult to decide on her own, especially considering she didn't know his budget or how they would handle paying for things.

Before they decided anything, they needed to have a talk.

* * *

Marinette was lucky to find Chat Noir sitting atop Notre Dame, his legs dangling over the edge and tail swinging idly in the evening breeze. The sun was just beginning to set, leaving a bright, orange glow over the indigo horizon of the city. Clouds rolled lazily in the sky. In the distance, the Eiffel Tower sparkled gold. It was all a beautiful sight, and Marinette would have relished in it—if it wasn't for a beam of setting sun that bounced off of the metal of Chat Noir's tail and shone right into her eyes.

"Ugh, Chat, put that tail away," she laughed as she put an arm over her mask, having landed right next to him. "You've blinded me."

"That wasn't my tail, my Lady," Chat replied with a chuckle. He smirked, his teeth glinting in the low light. "That was my beauty. Striking, isn't it?"

With a snort and a roll of her eyes, Marinette sat down next to him. "Can we talk?"

Chat Noir blew his bangs out of his eyes as a breeze passed. "Sure. About what?"

"The whole, um, 'living together' thing," she said with an awkward shrug of her shoulders. "You know I was serious about it when I said we could, right?"

Immediately sitting bolt upright, Chat Noir's eyes widened comically. "Wait, what? No way!"

"Yes way." Laughing, Marinette nudged her partner's side with her elbow. "What, you thought I was joking?"

Chat looked away. "Maybe…"

"I brought my phone with me so I can show you some of the apartments I was looking at. I wasn't sure what your budget was so I found some that were in good shape, had good reviews and weren't too expensive." Taking her phone from the string around her waist, Marinette unlocked it, thankful that her background was a picture of a cute cat rather than a selfie with Alya or something. "Do you want to see?"

Chat Noir was silent.

Looking to him, Marinette frowned, the brow of her mask quirking in confusion. He looked frozen, his eyes round and full of surprise. After a moment he shook his head—as if to clear his thoughts—and nodded furiously, scooting up to her so close that their shoulders brushed and his head nudged right up in her personal space. Marinette clicked her tongue with a smile.

She opened up the first link, showing him a relatively small two-bedroom apartment that had a decent kitchen and a bright living room, with large windows and a balcony overlooking the Seine. "I know we should look at places in person when we're really deciding, but I found a few that seem nice for the time being." She swiped through the photos, smiling as Chat marvelled at the interior. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, a little too quickly, "it's just...I can't believe we're actually doing this. Like, we're going to have a place of our own, just...j-just you, and uh, me."

Marinette nodded.

"You know," Chat continued. "It'll be just us living together. Alone. I've never spent so much time with you before, and I'm just really happy to finally be able to get out of my current situation, to be on my own, and- and it's- it's exciting. Sorry." His cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and Marinette patted his shoulder comfortingly.

"Don't apologize," she said. "I'm excited, too. I've been wanting to become independent for a while now, and I'd rather move in with somebody I'm comfortable with than a stranger."

Chat hesitated, looking away. "But- but aren't I a stranger?"

Marinette shook her head, turning her head to gaze up at him in surprise. "Why would you say that?"

"Well, I mean, we know each other, but at the same time...we don't, do we?" Chat Noir's ears drooped at the question, and Marinette immediately caught on to what he was _really_ asking.

"I talked to Tikki," she said after a second of silence, lowering her phone to her lap as the screen timed out. "She basically told me that it still isn't a good idea to reveal ourselves."

"I don't get it," Chat said. "If we're moving in together, then why—?"

Marinette shrugged, feeling a tad dejected. "I sort of understand. She feels it's for our safety. You know, if we knew each other and somehow that information got out...Papillon could target one of us in our civilian forms, and then we'd be screwed. We could really get hurt."

"I guess." A frown tugged at Chat Noir's lips. "Plagg says the same stuff. They do kind of have a point, but...still…"

"I know," Marinette sighed. "I know. I feel the same way."

Leaning back on the palms of his hands, Chat swayed his legs over the edge of the roof of the church, his expression contemplative. "How are we supposed to live together if we can't reveal ourselves? We'd be transformed day and night. I don't know about you, but this suit isn't exactly comfortable to sleep in."

"We wouldn't have to be transformed at night if we have our own rooms," Marinette said. "That way we'd have privacy and could just be ourselves when we needed to."

"It still seems complicated."

"I know, but I did have a few other ideas."

One of Chat's ears twitched in interest. "Like what?"

"Well," Marinette said. "For one, we could use masks, you know? Like handmade Ladybug and Chat Noir masks at home, so we could wear our normal clothes but still keep our identities secret. You could even wear little ears. Also, we could have certain outfits that we only wear at our place and not out anywhere else, so the secret stays safe."

"Oh," Chat Noir breathed. He was quiet for a moment, brows furrowed as he lost himself deep in thought. Marinette was almost afraid he wasn't going to say anything more, but then he smiled, his mouth stretching across his face in a wide, excited grin. "You know what, 'Bug? This could actually work!"

Marinette nodded enthusiastically. "I did talk to my parents about it today, too," she mentioned. "They're all for it. They said they were willing to help with furniture and stuff if we get someplace unfurnished."

"That's nice," Chat said. "It's unfortunate I can't meet them to give them my thanks. Won't that concern them, though? That they'd never meet me? Unless you lied and said you're there alone, but it might be obvious you're living with someone else."

With a shrug, Marinette smiled. "I'm sure I can make up some excuse why my elusive roommate is never home. Works nights, sleeps days...maybe has business across town...I'm very creative."

Chat feigned a gasp. "You would _lie_ to your beloved parents, my Lady?"

"It's a simple white lie," she chuckled. "And even though I can't stand liars or lying myself, I don't know how they'd react to learning that their daughter is Ladybug and is living with Chat Noir. It's safer that way."

"I suppose you're right."

"What about your parents?"

Chat Noir blinked, looking up with a frown. "Huh?"

"Your parents," Marinette repeated. "Have you mentioned anything to them? Do you think they would be okay with it?"

"Um." Ears drooping, Chat Noir immediately looked away, staring downcast towards the Seine. Something in his demeanor changed, and Marinette instantly regretted ever opening her mouth. "My dad isn't really...around. And my mom isn't…" he shook his head, unable to complete the sentence. "I don't think my dad would care all that much. I mean, he loves me, but he doesn't really show it, you know? Plus, I'm ready to be independent. He'll understand that, I'm sure…"

Marinette's lips tugged downwards and she wrapped an arm around her partner's form, resting her head on his shoulder in a silent comfort. They sat like that for a minute or two until Marinette's phone buzzed from a text from Alya. The screen lightning up nearly blinded the pair. "Sorry," she apologized, ignoring the message for now. It was just a simple greeting; nothing important enough to warrant her texting in front of her partner. "You going to be okay, Chat?"

Chat Noir nodded. Sitting up straight, he gave her a small grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "'Course, my Lady. This cat's perfect."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay," Marinette said, still unconvinced. "Did you- did you, um, want to still look at apartments? I've got a few more links here."

With a new light in his eyes, Chat Noir scooted closer. "Sure," he said. "I'd be more than happy to."

Marinette unlocked her phone. "Some of these are a little expensive, so let me know if-"

"Don't want to sound like an ass," Chat cut in, a sheepish smile on his face. He scratched the back of neck awkwardly. "But...money isn't really a problem for me, so...don't be intimidated by price if the place is good."

"Oh," Marinette said. Hmm. Okay. That was a new detail. Apparently Chat Noir had just hinted at the fact that he was loaded, and despite his wishes, it definitely made him sound like an ass.

"Well," she continued. "I hope you know that you're not going to be the only one paying for expenses, even if you've got money. I want to help with the bills, too."

Chat, whose cheeks were reddening, let out a strained sort of laugh. He shifted, eyes darting to the city below. It was as if he was shy all of a sudden, which was really odd, considering most of the time Marinette was sure he had nothing but flirty cat puns in his vocabulary. "Are you sure, Buginette?"

She regarded him with a stern look. "I'm serious. I don't want you paying for everything, Chat Noir, that's not fair. We can split the costs."

Chat Noir hummed. He still seemed reluctant to her proposal, which managed to get under her skin just a tad. Why wouldn't he want her to help out? How rich _was_ this guy? What the hell did he do for a living?

Sure, Marinette was by no means wealthy herself, but she made enough at her retail job to be able to be able to afford rent and buy groceries. She wasn't bad off in the slightest. "Kitty, c'mon, don't be ridiculous."

"If you insist," he sighed with a smirk, wrapping his arms around her waist and tugging her close. His head rested atop her shoulder, and he buried his face within her neck, his messy hair tickling her skin. "I kind of wish we had that apartment already. I'm so tired, my Lady, and you are sooo warm. Like a little bug-heater."

"Off," she demanded gently. Chat listened, smiling while he scooted away. "No hugs. Apartment searching."

Chat Noir laughed. "As you wish."

As Marinette swiped through photos, she tapped a finger to her lips, pondering a question that had been nagging at the back of her mind since Chat had first thought up the crazy idea. "I can't help but wonder, though...how would we sign a lease without using our civilian names?"

Chat frowned at that. "Oh, hell. I hadn't thought about it."

"Do you think we could use our initials?" Marinette found herself asking. She wasn't entirely sure if that would get them off the hook of using their full names, but it was worth a shot. "That way we aren't revealing ourselves and can still legally rent a place. I'm sure there are plenty of people in Paris whose names start and end with the same letters mine do."

Humming thoughtfully, Chat Noir pressed a hand to his chin, mulling over the notion. "That _could_ work...though I say we should definitely do some heavy research before we make any final decisions."

Marinette laughed. Setting her phone to the side, she leaned back into her partner and placed her hands in her lap, eyes trained on the midnight sky above. "I'm so new to this. Here I am wanting to be independent and stuff and I don't even have a clue where to start. I barely know a thing about getting my own place."

"Don't worry." Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Chat joined her in her giggles. "You're not the only one feeling that way. But hey, we'll figure this out together like we always do, right?" He held up his fist with a confident smile on his face, his intention clear.

Marinette responded with a grin and bumped her knuckles against his own. "Of course, chaton. That's why we make such a great team."

* * *

What Marinette had imagined would take up to thirty minutes had ended up lasting hours. She and Chat looked over apartment after apartment, place after place, until the moon rose high in the sky and the city calmed to a rest. The had night stretched on until the wee hours of the morning, and as she finally crawled into her bed feeling exhausted, Marinette buried her face within her pillow. She silently willed her transformation to drop; Tikki floated down to her pillow. Both of them were too tired to stay awake much longer.

While she and Chat Noir hadn't managed to settle on a single place, they had decided between two. One apartment was a little bit away from central Paris, but had great space; two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a decent sized kitchen and a cozy living room that led out to a garden terrace. Marinette had been excited about that part. Ever since she was eleven, she'd enjoyed growing flowers on her own, and was elated at the prospect of still being able to care for plants even as she moved to a new place.

The only downside was that the price was higher than she was willing, which meant that Chat Noir _might_ just have to pay a little extra. But she knew he wouldn't mind all that much, if the apartment really made her happy. Still...it did make her feel guilty. Marinette wanted their expenses to be equal. They were a team, after all—even when it came to bills.

The other apartment was small and confined, but the price was just in her budget. It had two bedrooms—one a tad smaller than the other—and one bathroom. The kitchen was tiny but doable, and the living room was bright, decorated by large windows that allowed natural light to stream from the sun. It was also smack-dab in the center of the city.

As Marinette lay in bed, she let out a heavy sigh, contemplating over what was more important: comfort and space, or staying within her budget?

"Marinette, you should sleep," Tikki said, quietly. "You're making yourself nervous. Everything will work out, okay?"

With a nod, Marinette breathed out a long, tired breath and allowed her muscles to relax. Tikki was right. She'd had a long day, and right now, all she wanted to do was sleep. She and Chat Noir would figure this out tomorrow. Although, if his word was final say, Marinette could already which place he would choose.

With thoughts of sunlight and garden terraces dancing in her mind, Marinette finally drifted off into a well-deserved rest, worries slipping from her mind and body at peace.


	3. A Bad Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette tells Alya that she's moving out of her parent's house, and Chat Noir does his best to calm Ladybug's worries over them living together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey im back at it again with another update
> 
> i wrote like 70% of this chapter last night what's up
> 
> anyways im sitting here, at my computer, in pain bc of my stupid wisdom teeth, so ....have a ladynoir update to make your days better because it sure as hell improved mine. I LOVE WRITING LADYNOIR . I LOVE IT
> 
> (also just a heads up: i went and changed the ages from 19 to 21 because i feel it's better that way. somehow)

"You're  _what!?"_

Marinette winced at the loud tone of her best friend's voice. Smiling meekly at Alya's face on the screen of her laptop, she nodded. "Yep. I'm...I'm moving out. Soon, actually."

"How soon?" Alya asked. She sat in her and Nino's little bedroom in the apartment they rented in southern California clad in orange fox pajamas, stuffing a bite of her breakfast into her mouth. Marinette chuckled at the sight of her best friend with her curly hair up in a bun and a half-eaten omelet sitting on the desk in front of her. While it was only eight A.M. in California, it was already dinner time in Paris.

"Probably in less than a month," Marinette replied. Pausing to add lace to a design she was sketching, she smiled, listening to Alya congratulate her from miles and miles away. "I think I've decided on the place, too. It's a little away from central Paris but it's roomy and-"

Alya grinned through a mouthful of food. "Do you have any pictures?"

Marinette nodded and opened up her web browser. "Yeah, I've got the website right here. Want me to send it?"

"Duh."

Sending the link over Skype, Marinette blew her bangs out of her face and leaned back in her chair, lifting her sketchbook up to look over the design. It was supposed to be a ladybug-patterned sundress she would wear around the house, but something was off _._.. "Let me know what you think."

Alya went quiet for a moment. Marinette could see on her screen that her friend was looking at something on her own computer, and after about a minute of scrutinizing, Alya's eyes widened comically.

"What?" Marinette asked.

"Um…well, for starters, it's a super cute place. Suits you. I could totally see you living in an apartment like that." Alya sat back in her rolling chair and offered an uncomfortable frown. "But, no offense, Mars...nearly three thousand euros a month just for rent? How in the hell are you going to afford that along with utilities and food and stuff?"

Marinette looked away. Right. She'd forgotten to mention that she  _might_  be living with someone else.

(Oh  _god,_  Alya was going to kill her when she found out that she was going to live with a guy she'd never met!)

"Well…" Marinette said, twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger. "I've already found myself a roommate."

Alya nearly choked on the last bite of her omelet. "What? Who is it?"

Marinette blanked.

How in the world would a person go about explaining her situation? She couldn't just say, "I don't know, he's Chat Noir and his identity eludes me, oh by the way I'm Ladybug so I trust him," could she?

"Um." Marinette blinked. "A friend."

Both girls went completely silent. It reminded Marinette of the old "pin dropping in a room" cliché. Her cheeks flushed involuntarily and she wasn't even sure  _why_. What was the reason for feeling embarrassed?

Alya leaned closer to the screen and gripped the sides of her laptop. Her eyes burned with questions, and her face was frozen in a serious expression—one that made Marinette slightly frightened of her fate. "Girl," Alya said, voice calm. "In the past year I've been away did you get a secret boyfriend that you haven't told me a single thing about? Because if you did oh my god I don't know what I'd  _do_ -"

Marinette's jaw dropped. "N-no!" she squeaked. "No, Alya, I'm single. He's not my boyfriend! He's just a friend and I-"

"So it  _is_  a he?"

"What does that matter? You know I'm not straight!"

"Well-!" Alya held up a finger and paused. "You're bi. So it could still be a secret boyfriend."

Marinette buried her face within her palm and snorted. "Alya, oh my god. I do not have a secret boyfriend or girlfriend or datefriend or anything. He's just...he's just a friend I've known for a while. You don't know him."

At least, Marinette assumed she didn't. How could she? It was Chat Noir, not a friend from collége or something. Just Chat. Her other best friend. The one person she trusted with her life and the only person she could imagine herself one hundred percent comfortable living with. Besides Alya and her parents, of course.

"I'm offended I haven't heard anything about him," Alya said. She rested her back against the chair and crossed her arms, a playful smile on her face. "What's his name?"

"Cha-" Marinette clamped her teeth down on her bottom lip before she let "Chat Noir" slip from her clumsy mouth. "Chaaaaa….Shhhaaaa...Chad."

Alya cocked her head to the side. "That's an odd name. Is he American?"

"Yes," Marinette answered without any second thought whatsoever. "Moved here...last year."

God, if this ever got back to Chat he'd never stop laughing. It would be a mix of both hilarity and  _humiliation._ At least him "moving to Paris a year ago" was a valid excuse for Alya not to have met him.

"What's he look like?" Alya asked. She stood from her chair to get dressed and threw her pajama shirt onto her and Nino's bed—who was conveniently out of the room—and Marinette was met with an eyeful of her best friend's bare chest.

"Alya!" Marinette laughed. She cupped a hand over her mouth and shut her eyes. "What are you doing?"

Alya's voice rang distantly through the laptop speakers. "Um, I'm getting dressed? Nino and I are actually going to spend the day together for once since he's not working. He's gonna be home any minute and I wanna look cute. Why are your eyes closed? You've seen me naked before. Need I remind you that we've been best friends for six years and have undressed in front of each other plenty of times?"

Marinette chuckled, eyes still shut. "I'm trying to be polite here."

"Yeah, yeah. Girl's polite and all, whatever."

After a few minutes of shuffling and other related noises, Alya plopped herself back down into her computer chair and Marinette finally opened her eyes to see her friend in a red flannel and jeans. She watched as Alya friend ran a brush through her curly red hair, and grinned when she tugged on a knot. A giggle bubbled from her lips as Alya cursed at the hair brush as if it was at fault for the discomfort.

Once the monster of her hair had been tamed, Alya set the brush down on her desk and scooted the dirtied plate from breakfast to the side. "You didn't answer my question, Mars."

Marinette resumed her sketching. It was best to act nonchalant. "What question?"

"I asked what  _M. Mysterious Roommate_  looked like."

"Oh."

Well that was certainly a question Marinette hadn't been prepared to answer. Chat Noir was…hm.

Chat was  _something_. Blond with green eyes, tannish skin, tall and skinny like a professional model; skin-tight suit as black as the night; perfect white teeth and a smile as wide as the sun.

Ugh, but that all sounded so  _fake._ What features could she possibly describe without sounding like she was talking about a character from a young adult novel or a celebrity, for crying out loud?

Glancing up at her laptop screen, Marinette ripped the failed design out of her sketchbook and crumpled it within her hand. So much for that dress. It would get redone later. "He's, um...blond. Green eyes. Wears a lot of black? Pretty skinny…"

"Sounds kinda emo," Alya said.

Marinette squawked out a surprised laugh and began a new sketch on a clean page. "He's not emo!"

"How old is he?"

"Twenty-one." It was one of the only pieces of personal information Marinette had learned about her partner.

"Aw, same age," Alya cooed.

Marinette gave a playful roll of her eyes. It was always like Alya to tease. That was just how she showed her love.

"What kinda stuff does he like?" Alya asked.

The lead of her pencil snapped, and Marinette cursed. "The same kind of stuff I do, I guess? Video games, art, staying up late…he really likes puns, and cats. Oh god, he  _loves_  cats. They're like his whole life. He's practically obsessed."

"So he's a furry?"

"No! Oh my god, Alya-"

Alya turned her head to the side as the sound of keys jingling in a door came from another room. "Nino's home," she said, enthusiasm in her voice. "I'll talk to you later, okay Mari? Love you!"

Giving a wave, Marinette returned the sentiment and went to end the call, but-

"Oh!" Alya exclaimed as she threw her purse over her shoulder. Marinette's hand stilled atop her mouse. "I forgot to tell you! Nino and I are coming back to Paris for a visit in a few months! I can meet your roomie. He sounds cute. We should all hang out and get drinks or something."

Excitement flared up within Marinette's chest before she  _froze._

 _Oh, shit,_ she thought, mind reeling, heart pounding, eyes the size of the moon. _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! We can't do that!_

How in the world would she break the news to Alya that she couldn't meet her roommate because he was, dunno, Chat Noir? Savior of Paris? The number one flirt in the whole city (she assumed)?  _Ladybug's most trusted partner and friend?_

"Uh…" Marinette blanched. Blinking, she shook her head and forced a toothy grin to her face, nodding a bit too vigorously to be entirely convincing. "S-sure, Alya! Sounds fun. I'm so looking forward to see you again!"

"Kisses!" Blowing a kiss to the screen, Alya reached out and ended the call. The screen switched back to the text chat they'd started up an hour ago.

Well.

This was bad.

Marinette's heart felt like it was about to burst from her chest. While she was beyond elated to see her best friend in person again, the fact that Alya wanted to hang out with her and her roommate—Chat Noir—was immeasurably concerning. After all, nobody could find out Marinette was Ladybug, just like nobody could find out Ladybug was Marinette, and the thought that the whole idea altogether was spiralling into an absolute  _mess_ made her want to run and hide and- and- she didn't know!

"Tikki," she breathed after a moment. Her head felt heavy and her stomach felt sick. Grabbing a pillow from her side, Marinette stuffed her face within it and  _screamed._  "We're so screwed."

* * *

"I'm beginning to think this is a bad idea."

Adrien snapped up from the roof he'd been lying on and regarded his partner with a startled frown. Her face was scrunched up with worry under the low light of the evening sun, and her gaze was thoughtful as wisps of black hair kissed her cheeks in the faint breeze. He raised a brow as she nibbled on her lower lip. She appeared to be nervous...but why? What was causing her to be so distraught?

"Bad idea?" Adrien asked. "What's a bad idea?"

Ladybug loosened her messy hair from her ponytail before fixing it and attempting to put it up again. It took her a few tries, which was unusual; it wasn't like Ladybug to have trouble with such a simple task unless something was  _really_  bothering her. "Us. Moving in together," she said, voice quiet. "It might not be too great of an idea."

Adrien's heart sank like a brick hitting the bottom of the Seine. Ouch. Okay, so...they weren't doing this now? The past three days of planning and talking and figuring it all out had been for nothing? But they'd both been so excited! He'd been so happy to think about the possibility of moving out...being on his own...away from his father's eye...

After a moment of internal deliberation, "Oh," was all he could say.

"Don't get me wrong," Ladybug said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I want to more than anything. But everything right now is looking so...difficult. And I'm starting to think it might not work out."

"It's not like you to give up so easily," Adrien said. He turned to face his Lady and cocked his head to the side, hoping the hurt didn't show on his face. "What's worrying you? You can talk to me about it, Buginette."

A chilly gust of wind blew past them, giving the air an icy tinge to it. A minute passed, then two, and Adrien was beginning to think Ladybug was going to leave his question unanswered before she finally found the courage to speak.

"I'm just fretting over stuff that doesn't need to be fretted about," she said, sounding defeated. Lowering her head, Ladybug examined her fingers, as if she was trying to find something other than the current subject to focus on. "You know how I get sometimes…"

Adrien hummed thoughtfully. There had to be something rooted within her that was causing her to feel anxiety over the notion of them moving in together. Something was bothering her, something recent, and he wanted to find out what. A calm Ladybug was a happy Ladybug. Poor 'Bug got stressed out so easily these days and he wished he knew why.

Giving his partner a reassuring smile, Adrien patted her back. "Tell me what's bothering you, L.B."

Ladybug was silent for what felt like ages—which in reality was only a minute tops—before she let out a breath she'd been holding and submitted. "I had a Skype call with a friend in America today. She's flying in a few months from now for a visit and wants to meet you."

Oh. Well, that was definitely a problem. Adrien could see why something like that would bother her.

"But she can't," he said. Ladybug nodded in agreement.

"No, she can't. And she's not the only one who will want to meet you. I mean, I don't know how my parents would react to learning they'll never see you—probably not well—and I have other friends who'll want to visit." She laid back against the roof and stared up at the sky. "I'm scared we won't be able to work around that and someone, someday, is going to find out who we are. On accident. And it'll be a huge mess."

Ah. Ladybug was worried about people discovering her identity.  _That's_  what this was all about.

"Don't worry, 'Bug," Adrien said as he lay back with her. Their shoulders brushed, and he allowed himself a twinge of delight at the touch. "We've kept our identities safe for seven years now. We're good with that stuff. I'm sure our friends won't find out so easily. Not if I have anything to say about it."

"How do you know for sure?" Ladybug asked. She fiddled with her gloves and nibbled on her bottom lip in a way that shouldn't have been absolutely  _endearing_.

Feeling his lips curl upwards into a smile, Adrien reached out and placed a hand over her own, hoping to calm her nerves. He gave her knuckles a squeeze, and Ladybug responded with a turn of her head. Her eyes sparkled curiously.

"What's on your mind, Chat?" she asked, allowing him to hold her hand for longer than he'd anticipated.

Adrien grinned. What was on his mind?

Even when she was lost in her anxieties, Ladybug was beautiful. There was no denying that. Her bluebell eyes, the way her dark hair had grown down to her lower back, her voice and freckles and how she always knew what to do. Her bravery, her stubbornness, her fiery personality and her absolute  _everything…_

Ugh. He was so far gone. So gone to the point that he'd drowned in Ladybug and never felt the need to breach for air.

"Nothing about how you're the most gorgeous person I've ever met," he said. Ladybug clicked her tongue and pulled her hand away; Adrien mourned the loss of her warmth. "And I was absolutely not thinking about how I'd love to spend the rest of my life with you."

Sitting up, Ladybug sighed restlessly. "Not now, Chat Noir. Stop flirting."

Oh, well. It was worth a shot. Didn't stop him from loving her. Her feelings were more important at the moment, however, just like they always were to him, so the compliments and affections could wait for a better time.

"You okay?" Adrien asked, sitting up with her. "You seem really on edge."

"I'm just so  _worried,_ " Ladybug whimpered. Her voice cracked, and Adrien felt a deep pang of sympathy. "I'm scared we're going to screw up really bad, like what if one of us sleepwalks when another is awake and we're not wearing masks or we come home at the same time or accidentally see each other when we do, or if something terrible happens to either of us-"

Adrien sat down in front of his Lady and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Woah, hey," he said, tone calm; soothing. "It's okay, Ladybug. We'll be alright. There are plenty of ways to prevent accidental reveals, okay? Trust me. We're gonna be extra careful, and we're gonna be okay. I know that. We're gonna be okay."

"I don't know if I can go through with this."

Scratching at the back of his neck, Adrien frowned. Ladybug had a tendency to be overdramatic and blow things out of proportion from time to time, but hopefully she wasn't saying that she wanted to eradicate the idea altogether. It had already been three days since they had decided they would be officially moving in together...which was plenty of time for them both to think things through and make a decision.

(Well, enough time for Adrien specifically to think about how much he couldn't wait to be closer to his partner.)

"Okay," he breathed, black ears drooping against his hair. He sat back beside her and his tail twitched in tune with his nerves. "If you're not comfortable with it, we can totally call it off-"

Ladybug shook her head. "It's not that I'm not comfortable with it," she said, her blue, blue eyes meeting Adrien's, "I'm more than okay with the thought of us living in the same space. The problem is  _how_  we're going to get to that stage. We've still got so much to figure out, and the whole 'can't reveal ourselves' thing is going to make it a whole lot harder."

With a thoughtful hum, Adrien nodded. Things  _were_  going to be incredibly tedious. They had a lot to discuss, and even more to think about. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, you're right..."

A heavy feeling of sadness washed over him.

Who were they kidding, thinking they could move in together at the drop of a hat? Both he and Ladybug knew that there would be trouble behind the idea, and a plethora of difficulties to overcome. At first, it had admittedly been a nice thought, living under the same roof as the girl he loved... But Adrien knew better. He didn't get that lucky.

No, luck was reserved for the Lady herself. But in this case it seemed that even she was getting the short end of the stick.

Still, it didn't stop Adrien from believing.

"We can figure it out," he said, voice full of what he hoped didn't sound like faux confidence. "If we can defeat akuma on a near daily basis, then we can find a way to get this to work, right? We're a team in and out of the masks."

"I hope so, Chat Noir," Ladybug said. She hugged her knees to her chest and rested her head upon them, eyes cast wistfully at the city below. "I haven't told anyone besides my parents and one friend that I plan on moving out yet. I don't know how I'm going to tell my other friends, because they're going to want to visit, and, well... They don't know I'm Ladybug."

Adrien hadn't really given any thought about friends visiting. What would he do if Nino randomly turned up to hang out and he and Ladybug were both home? Would she have to hide in her room the entire time—pretend she wasn't there? That would be tough, and unfair to his partner. It would be her place too, and Adrien didn't want to force her to stay locked in one room just because he had a guest.

"Maybe we can plan around it?" he offered, voice cracking slightly at the end of his question. "You know, make a day where I can hang out with my friends at our place, you can hang with yours... Whichever one of us has company gets a few hours alone at the apartment and the other can have a day out or something. I dunno."

A groan rose from beside him. Adrien looked over to see Ladybug throwing herself backwards against the panels of the roof with a soft  _clunk._  "This is so hard," she whined, draping her forearm over her face. "Why can't stuff like this be easier? I just want to move in with my best friend. That's all I want."

Adrien smiled at his partner's dramatics and reached over to pat her on the shoulder with a chuckle in his throat. "We could just disobey our kwamis and drop the transformations right now and be done with it."

"Chat." Ladybug's expression flattened. She glowered at him from underneath her arm. "No way."

"Hey," he laughed with a shrug, "it was just a simple suggestion."

Standing up, he brushed his suit off and stretched, mouth opening in a wide yawn before he placed his hands on his hips and let his gaze fall down to the world below. Cars flowed down the street like a river of red and yellow beams. People walked along the sidewalk, entering and exiting shops left and right. In the distance, Adrien could see the Eiffel Tower's lights switch on just as the sky grew dark, and the sound of a jet zooming above caused his ears to twitch.

He needed to be heading home soon. He had a dinner with his father to attend to within an hour. The news of his leave had to be broken somehow, and he'd thought a peaceful dinner would be a nice way to ease into it. He'd admittedly been surprised his father had accepted his invitation for a "family dinner" on such short notice.

"You know," Adrien began. "I think we'll be okay, Ladybug. I know we have quite a bit of legal stuff to figure out, but what's a few signatures and adult conversations? In the end, it'll be worth it. We'll have our own place and be able to do whatever we want. I could eat cereal at four in the morning and nobody would judge me."

"I would," Ladybug snorted. She kicked her legs over the edge of the building and as her eyes met his, she blessed him with a smile. "I think we'll be okay, too. But I have this feeling that even though I  _am_  an adult, I'm not-" she paused to laugh, "-I'm definitely not ready to  _be_  one. I mean, learning how to do my taxes was hard enough. How do I take care of a place that's  _mine?_ How do I handle that responsibility?"

"Same way you do now, I guess," Adrien said as he sat back down. "Wash the dishes after you use them, take out the trash every night, clean your room once a week and don't leave the oven on while you're out. That's what you do to keep a place clean and safe, right?"

Not that he would know. He'd had people to clean up after him all of his life.

(He was too embarrassed to admit that he had no idea how to use a washing machine.)

"I'm warning you now," Ladybug cautioned. "I'm going to set the apartment on fire. Whichever one we choose, it's going down in flames because of me. That or I'll flood the place."

Cocking one of his felt ears, Adrien laughed. So much for reassuring her. "Jeez, Buginette. Have some faith in yourself, okay? Also in me. I can totally keep you from igniting the kitchen or something."

"How? You have no idea how clumsy I am at times."

"I seem to recall that the first time we met, you called yourself maladroit after nearly giving me a concussion with your yo-yo."

Ladybug grinned as she playfully punched him in the side. "You shut your mouth."

" _Meowch_ ," Adrien snickered as he rubbed the spot she'd assaulted. Despite her best efforts to be gentle, it still hurt. "You know, I change my mind. I think living with you is gonna be unbear _fur_ ble. Absolutely  _cat_ astrophic.  _Paw_ ful. A  _hiss_ terical-"

Ladybug buried her head within her palms and groaned. "Oh my god, one more pun and I'm going to punt you across the city, Chat Noir, I swear to  _god-"_

"Wait," he pleaded, laughter in his voice, "one more, one more. It'll be ap _paw_ ling-"

Adrien squawked as Ladybug began to push him off of the edge of the roof. Oh, now he'd done it. He'd punned too much. He had punned one pun too many. Somehow, he had always known this was the way he would die: from  _puns._ His fate was sealed. Done. Completed. Do not pass go, do not collect the twenty euro reward.

"Imagine the headlines," Adrien said, clapping a hand over his head dramatically as his partner attempted to throw him off of the music shop they'd been resting upon. "Paris' most beloved hero, Chat Noir, was murdered to death last night by renowned super-heroine Ladybug. He was thrown off a building around seven P.M.-"

"Murdered to death," Ladybug guffawed. She paused her attempts at homicide and placed her hands on her hips to squint up at him, chest heaving with laughter. "I'm pretty sure murder and death aren't mutually exclusive!"

"You would know," Adrien retorted with a toothy grin. "You're about to murder me."

(As if Ladybug would ever purposefully harm him.)

"Chat, this is only a two story building," Ladybug deadpanned. "Besides, you have your baton to break your fall. Also your fat ego."

"I take offense to that."

The heel of Adrien's boot slipped on the edge of the roof and he wobbled, teetering over the edge with his arms flailing. His heart leaped and he gasped, but just as he was about to fall Ladybug caught him by his bell. Adrien smirked down at her and felt a flutter in her chest as she returned the expression almost just as flirtatiously.

"How many times am I gonna save your ass,  _chaton?_ " Ladybug asked, slowly pulling him down by his bell so she could look him in the eye. "Isn't this the third time this week?"

Adrien's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. He loved how she teased. Their faces were so  _close_ he could practically taste her breath on his lips.

Leaving her question unanswered, Adrien instead chose to grin as his reply. "To be fair, you were the one who attempted to murder me over too many puns."

Ladybug snickered. "I only dislike them because they're terrible. Now, if they were  _good_  puns, maybe I'd have a different mindset."

"You know," he said as Ladybug grasped what was essentially the zipper to his suit, "when we finally move into our place, I'm gonna get those magnetic fridge letters and wake up every morning around five A.M. to make a horrible cat pun out of them, just so you get to wake up to a new one every. Single. Day."

"You evil, evil boy," Ladybug snorted. She let go of his bell—which jingled merrily—and crossed her arms, sticking her tongue out in a very mature fashion. "I'll just take those puns and rearrange the letters to make bad words."

"Of course you would," Adrien said, to which Ladybug nodded proudly. "That's why I love you so much."

"Because I would make bad words out of other words?"

He booped her nose with the tip of his finger. "Because you're so creative."

"Stop." Ladybug waved his hand away. She feigned annoyance, but the smile on her face convinced Adrien she felt otherwise. "Shouldn't you be getting home? I thought you told me you had an important dinner with your dad to get to."

"I do," he admitted. "But can't I just enjoy my Lady's company for a moment longer?" Reaching out for her hand, he grabbed it within his own and nuzzled his face against her palm. Even through the fabric of her suit he could feel how warm her skin was. It felt so nice against his cheek… If only he could keep it there.

Ladybug pulled her hand back, pink lips stretched into a sweet smile. "Go on, kitty. Can't be late for dinner."

"Beautiful  _and_  punctual. You're out to steal my heart."

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Leave already, fuzzbutt."

"I'm going, I'm going." Adrien blew her a kiss and stood, walking to the edge of the roof as he made to leave. He hopped onto the ledge, did an exuberant pose just to get some giggles out of his Lady, and extended his baton to his full height before bounding into the air.

Landing on the roof adjacent, he paused mid-crouch and froze as he remembered he'd had a very important question to ask before he left.

"Wait!" he called. He did a one-eighty and leaped right back next to Ladybug, who raised her brow at his speedy return. "I forgot to ask: did you decide between the two apartments yet?"

"Sort of," Ladybug said. She placed her yo-yo back on her waist, which she'd produced as soon as Adrien had left.

"Well?" Adrien asked. One of his black ears twitched with interest.

Ladybug's gaze fell downcast. "I know which one I want, but really, I don't want you paying more per month than I am, Chat-"

"Your happiness is important."

"I'd be happier if you weren't covering most of the rent."

"I honestly don't mind," Adrien assured her. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, I prefer the bigger place too. I've kind of lived in a big house all of my life and to be honest, I would feel a little cramped in the cheaper apartment." He reached up to rub at the back of his neck. "But ultimately what I care about most is you being comfortable. If you feel you would be better off in the small place, then-"

"I don't know about the small place," Ladybug admitted, quite stubbornly. "Well, I mean I  _do,_ but it's just... We would have no room. And since we can't reveal ourselves we really need the space…"

"You've got your pouty face on," Adrien said. He smiled, offering a hand to help his Lady up onto the ledge. She took it and climbed up, but crossed her arms as soon as she righted herself and looked away with her lower lip jutted out.

"I am not pouty," she pouted.

Adrien poked her cheek. "C'mon, Mlle. Pouty Face...tell me the truth. What is it you really want?"

"Food," she muttered, not meeting his gaze. "It's past dinner time and  _you_ should be home with your dad."

Adrien laughed. Was she avoiding the subject?

"Besides food," he said. "Which apartment can you see yourself being happier in?"

Ladybug murmured something under her breath. She kicked a stray pebble off of the roof and turned her back to him.

"What was that?" Adrien asked.

She mumbled the same unintelligible reply as before. Her lips were sealed and the brow of her mask was lowered in irritation, and Adrien had to resist the urge to squeal at how absolutely  _adorable_  she was in that moment.

Oh, she was too damn cute. She was so cute when she pouted and she was so  _cute_  when she wanted something but was too embarrassed to say it.

Was it that hard to admit that she liked the spacious apartment more than the other? Because it was pretty easy for him. If only he could get it out of her.

" _Bug-Bug_ ," Adrien whined. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin upon her shoulder, head butting into her jaw. "Come on, you can tell me."

"Okayyyy," she admitted with a huff and a stomp of her foot. "Okay, okay. I like the expensive place better, okay? I just feel really bad because if I can't contribute as much as you can, then I-"

Walking around to face her, Adrien pressed a clawed finger to her lips and leaned down to her eye level. "Hey," he said. "Don't you worry your pretty little head, Ladybug. If it's really  _bugging_  you that much-" he snorted as her expression soured at his pun, "-then we can figure something out. But have you made your decision? Because I've made mine."

Ladybug hesitated. She blinked, her gaze lowering to the floor...before she met his eyes and smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I have."

"Good." Grabbing her hand, Adrien placed a kiss to her knuckles. "I've gotta go now, but tomorrow we can meet at the Tower and talk some more, okay? No matter what, the only thing that's important to me is your happiness. Even if we end up in a cramped, one-bedroom apartment with no heat, I'll be happy so long as you are."

Much to his delight, Ladybug blushed. "Fine," she said, looking away. "But we're meeting at six P.M. tomorrow on the dot, and we're going to figure this out. We're a team no matter what, right? Akuma fighting, apartment hunting...both deadly, deadly forces." Her lips quirked upwards into a smile. "I'm actually really excited."

"Me too, 'Bug," Adrien said. "Me too."

Ladybug pulled away from him and gave him a lighthearted shove. "Now go on," she said, grinning. "Go meet your dad and have some father-son bonding time. Talk about cats or Camembert or whatever it is you do."

"Wow," Adrien laughed. He grabbed his baton and gave her a wave. "I'll have you know that the Camembert isn't  _for_  me or my dad. It's for Plagg, and you know that."

"Tell Plagg I think he's gross."

"He'd take that as a compliment, Ladybug! You'll inflate his ego-filled head with that talk!"

Ladybug threw her head back with a chortle. "Go already! Your dad's gonna be sitting at wherever it is you live waiting on your slow butt!"

"Fine, fine." With a salute, Adrien extended his baton and prepared to leap. "Goodnight, my Lady. I'll see you tomorrow."

Smiling, Ladybug waved. "Get outta here, you silly cat."

"I'm going," Adrien chuckled. With one last kiss to her hand, he was off into the night, mind already reeling with fantasies about what living with his Lady would bring. The only thing that spoiled those wonderful thoughts was what events would occur during dinner with his father. Cold stares, an entirely one-sided conversation...the possibilities were endless.

His heart, however, pulled him towards the hope that the evening would go well, and that breaking the news would be as easy as pie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please dont come after me asking me how this is possible/how it's gonna work out/with a list of things that are wrong. im just here for the fluff and am trying to get past the process of these cute Fucks figuring out how to move in together so i can actually write them MOVING IN TOGETHER AND LIVING TOGETHER goodnight


	4. A Breaking of News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Adrien tells his father that he's moving out, he accidentally slips up and says he's moving out with someone he hasn't spoken to since Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i updated just under two months ago sdf;sf ll;sdf;a will i EVER have a consistent update schedule
> 
> broken hearts club is still on hiatus because it's proving to be very difficult to write, so this fic is my main focus at the moment although it's barely received any attention. ~~it's a hell of a lot more fun to write too~~
> 
> also before i get ONE MORE PERSON telling me that it's "bugaboo" and not "buginette": i watch the french version of the show and write my fics accordingly. in the french dub, he calls her "buginette" so please. please let me live
> 
> anyways here's some fluffy ladynoir SHIT

Adrien was disappointed.

He tapped his foot against the floor, hands clasped together on the mahogany table and head hung low. A sigh fell from his lips, which were tugged downwards in a frown, and he momentarily closed his eyes. This was certainly awkward.

His father was late for dinner.  _Very_ late. So late that Adrien had received plenty of time to mull over the notion that he might not even turn up at all.

There was his plate, right next to Adrien's, steam rising up from the chicken and green vegetables that sat lifelessly upon it. Adrien poked at his own food, stabbing a floret of broccoli and twirling it around on his fork, considering beginning his meal on his own before he set his silverware down and leaned back into his chair with a huff.

Of course Gabriel was late. It wasn't like this was important to his son or anything. Adrien wasn't taking a big step in life that he wanted to discuss with his father or something. Not at all! Gabriel's absence wasn't a big deal.

(Except it was. It was and Adrien hated himself for feeling upset when he'd known this would most likely be the outcome in the first place.)

Swirling his wine around in his glass, Adrien took a sip. It was bitter—just like how he felt at the moment. He was never really one for drinking, anyways.

The dining room sat empty, save for the youngest Agreste and two plates of food that would soon be cold. The lights of the city shone through the windows, soft and luminous in the black of night—a reminder that even when things went wrong, Paris would always be there. For a moment Adrien considered foregoing dinner and slipping out his bedroom window behind the safety of his transformation, but he knew better. He'd have to be patient.

(No matter how difficult it was.)

A glass vase sat in front of his plate with a single purple hyacinth reaching proudly from its neck. Adrien tilted his head to the side as he lifted a finger to brush at its petals, recalling the meaning of the flower—an apology—and scoffed under his breath as he slid the vase away.

He ate his dinner without waiting for his father to arrive. It tasted unusually bland.

Just as Adrien cleaned his plate and stood from his chair, his eyes heavy and body ready for a good night's rest, Gabriel Agreste walked into the room. As usual his shoulders were tight and his back straight, expression stoic and unreadable. Adrien stuffed his hands in his pockets and faced his father with a frown, brow raised in question as Gabriel cleared his throat and sat at the end of the table without a word.

"You're late," Adrien said, unable to prevent the hurt he felt from slipping into his words.

"I know," Gabriel said curtly. He cut into his chicken and took a bite; Adrien wondered if he even noticed that it had long since lost its heat. "I was busy."

Crossing his arms, Adrien's gaze fell to the floor. "You're always busy."

"I had important work to do." His father's tone stung, and he wasn't even speaking harshly.

"More important than me?" Adrien asked with a slight edge to his voice. He met his father's gaze, unwilling to glance away, and held his eye with a challenging gleam in his own.

With a sigh, Gabriel set his silverware down on the table and pinched the bridge of his nose. Adrien knew  _that_  look—it was the age-old "oh, we're having this conversation again?" grimace.

"Don't start this now, Adrien," Gabriel said. "Please, I've had a long day."

Adrien nodded. "Right," he replied. "Right. Me too…" Scuffing at the ground with his foot, he sighed and turned on his heel. "Well, goodnight."

"Didn't you have something you said you needed to discuss with me?"

Adrien paused in the doorway. He did, yes...but a something inside of him wanted to act stubborn. He'd been looking forward to their dinner, after all, and Gabriel  _was_  nearly an hour late. That warranted a little sour behavior, didn't it?

"Don't worry about it," Adrien said, feeling a tad uncertain. "It's...it's not a big deal."

There was a pause. Then, Gabriel adjusted his glasses, and Adrien could have  _sworn_ he caught the hint of a smile twitching at the corner of his father's mouth. "You're like your mother in many ways, Adrien. For one, you're a terrible liar."

Adrien deflated. Of course he was. Everyone had always told him that.

"Sit back down, please," Gabriel instructed. "Tell me what you needed to say."

 _Ugh._ Fine.

As he returned to the table and pulled out his chair, the small, stubborn flame that still simmered within Adrien's chest screamed. Oh well. No need for a bad attitude if his father was at least willing to cooperate.

Swallowing the nervous lump in his throat, Adrien sat back down and tapped his fingers on the table. He kept his gaze on the polished wood, brows furrowed and heartbeat quickening. This was it. He was going to break the news of his leave to his father and he wasn't taking no for an answer. All he had to do was tell him.

Mind racing, Adrien played with the hairs at the nape of his neck, displaying the telltale gesture he'd never grown out of.

 _Tell him,_ he urged himself,  _tell him-_

"I'm leaving," Adrien said, before frowning at his own choice of words. Well, that didn't come out like he'd wanted it to...

Gabriel nearly choked on his wine. Blinking wildly, he set his glass on the table and regarded his son with wide eyes. "Leaving? Can you elaborate, please?"

Adrien nodded. "I mean moving out," he said, the pitch of his voice rising an octave. "As in...getting my own place. Becoming more independent. I think it's about time."

"When did you decide this?" Gabriel asked, and Adrien could tell he'd become tense; he was definitely doing his best to hide it, what with his shoulders lowering and eyes returning to his cold plate of food. "This is...quite the sudden declaration…."

"Not really," Adrien countered. He fiddled with the cuff of his sleeve as he avoided looking at his father directly. "I've been thinking about it for months now. A friend and I officially decided that we want to move in together about a week ago. We've already picked a few places to look at, so-"

"A  _friend_?" Gabriel rose a skeptical brow. He took a sip of his wine, sighed, and clasped his hands together on the table. "What kind of friend, Adrien?"

Adrien's lips thinned at his father's change of expression. Wow. What was  _that_  look for? It was almost as if he'd just confessed that he was running off to elope with some girl he'd never mention, what with the way Gabriel was practically gaping at him.

Oh, did he think—? Did he think his son was moving in with a secret girlfriend or something?

Becoming a little defensive, Adrien sat up straight in his chair. "Just a friend, father. We both were looking to move out and decided it would be cheaper to room together."

"And who is this...friend?"

Names were a problem. Names were definitely a problem.

Fuck, why hadn't he come up with a plan? Why hadn't he made an excuse or come up with a friend he was supposedly living with? In retrospect, he really could have thought the whole thing through a lot more thoroughly, because now…

Well, now, he was on the brink of panic. He couldn't tell his father he was moving in with  _Ladybug!_  That would be absurd!

"Uhh," Adrien blanched. "Um. N-Nino? Wait, no, he's in California- I meant…Nin...uh."

 _Shit. Shit, shit, shit,_ he thought, mind reeling. _Can't say Nino or Alya. Who else?_

He was coming up short and teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown. His father was assessing him with a cock of his brow and a lopsided frown, and Adrien was about to have a serious  _meltdown._

He quickly blurted out the first name that came to his mind after Nino and Alya-

"Marinette?"

-and instantly regretted every single decision he'd ever made in his life.

"Marinette?" Gabriel asked. He mulled the thought over, chewing on the remaining bits of his food before he swallowed and nodded in recollection. "She's the one who's won a few of my competitions, isn't she? The Dupain-Cheng girl?"

Adrien wanted to bury himself in a three-meter hole deep, deep in the ground. He'd barely spoken to Marinette after they had graduated from lycée, and had only seen her a few spare times since. While the two of them had grown a little closer over the past six years, they hadn't exactly become close enough to hang out every week. When he had left the country for a brief time after graduation, he'd kept in contact with Nino—which, in turn, meant he kept in contact with Alya—but had seldom ever gotten the chance to text Marinette. He had her number, of course, but…

Well, they'd certainly drifted. The last time he had seen her in person was at a Christmas party four months ago, and even then they hadn't spoken much except for the occasional conversation by the punch bowl.

How would he tell her that he'd accidentally told his father that they were moving in together as a coverup for who he was  _actually_  going to be living with? She'd probably be pretty freaked out, and— _goodness,_  what if she called him a creep? She probably had a boyfriend—or girlfriend—of her own, and wouldn't want a friend from lycée she rarely spoke to saying that they were roomies, especially if she was already living with someone else.

Despite himself, Adrien found his lips forming words on their own accord. "Yep, that's the one." His voice croaked uncomfortably.

Why?  _Why?_  What was  _wrong_  with him—!

Gabriel hummed approvingly. He was silent for a moment or two, giving a leisurely roll of the wine in his glass. Removing his glasses to wipe them on his suit, he gave a small nod. "Alright," he said. "I see you're ready to take this new step in your life, and I'll allow it under one condition: before you two finalize this, I'd like to speak with Mme. Dupain-Cheng in person."

Adrien's left eye twitched. "Haha, won't...won't be a problem."

Marinette was going to kill him. He was so utterly, completely, extraordinarily _fucked._

* * *

"So, how'd it go?"

Breathing in the cool night air deeply through his nose, Adrien sighed, leaning his back against the brick of a chimney. The horizon of the city glowed like an amber flame over the buildings and bled into the black sky, where a sleepy airplane trailed across. Faint laughter trickled up from below the roof he and Ladybug sat upon, and in the distance, the sound of an acoustic guitar danced in the wind.

Adrien shifted his position against the chimney and shrugged in response to Ladybug's question. Truthfully, he honestly felt like he was about to throw up, and his head was pounding. Pressing his palm against the back of his head, Adrien murmured, "Hard to tell."

Ladybug turned her attention to him, ponytail swaying with the movement of her head and blue irides sparkling with concern. "What do you mean?"

Head drooping, shoulders slumping, Adrien let out a quiet, strained groan. "I fucked up so bad, 'Bug."

Immediately Ladybug was at his side. Her hand was soft on his bicep, and how her teeth lightly bit into her lower lip made Adrien's heart pulse with warmth. He shot her a smile. As he lifted his head to gaze at her fully, the thick breeze that blew against them at this altitude caused his eyes to sting with dryness, but he held eye contact anyways; looking at his Lady was always a gift he treasured, and he wouldn't tear his attention away for the world.

Clearing his throat, he began: "So... Yesterday, I told my dad that I'm moving out."

Ladybug nodded encouragingly, patting his arm. "That's good."

His smile grew crooked as it threatened to fall. "That part, I guess, yeah. But...there was a question he asked me that caused me to panic, and I think I may have given him an answer that he liked, but another person may be angry about." He clawed mindlessly at the gravel of the roof with one hand, the other reaching up to rest atop his partner's with an affectionate squeeze. Ladybug glanced down at their entwined fingers before meeting his eyes once again.

"Tell me," she said. It wasn't a question.

Swallowing audibly, Adrien said, "I told him I was moving in with a friend. He got suspicious—not that I didn't expect him to be—and asked me  _who_  it was I was moving in with. Naturally, I couldn't just say Ladybug—because could you imagine how crazy that would be? To say I'm moving in with Ladybug? Anyways, I panicked and told him that I was moving in with a friend of mine who's in America which doesn't make sense, because he's in America and I'm obviously here in France-"

"Chat," Ladybug chuckled behind her hand. "You're rambling."

"Right." Clearing his throat, Adrien continued, "I might have told him I was moving in with a friend I haven't spoken to since Christmas."

Ladybug was quiet for about three whole seconds before she grinned and began to braid a tiny piece of hair that was sticking out of the side of his head. (How she was going to properly braid something that small was beyond him, really, but he let her try.)

"Well," she said, continuing her ministrations, "is that such a bad thing? I mean, if you haven't spoken to them since Christmas, it is a little awkward, but...maybe they'd be willing to help cover for you. You know, pose as your roommate so your Pere's convinced and whatnot. It'd be easier than having a roommate he's never met and never seen. If they're a good friend, they might help you."

As Ladybug began to work on another too-small part of his hair, having succeeded with the first, Adrien hummed. He hadn't thought of that. Sure, it would definitely be weird to meet up with Marinette only to tell her that he needs her help posing as his roommate, and she might be weirded out, but...it was worth a shot, wasn't it? And even though they weren't necessarily  _good_  friends anymore, they were still friends. He wouldn't want to stress her out, or make things difficult for her...but surely there was no harm in asking?

Leaning back into his partner's warmth, Adrien beamed. "My Lady, you are always full of brilliant ideas. It's one of the many reasons why I'm head over heels for you."

"Yeah, yeah," Ladybug snickered. She gave him a gentle push, heaving him off of her body. "Ugh, Chat Noir, you're heavy. Get off."

"Excuse me," he countered, white fangs glinting in the city lights. "I happen to weigh a healthy amount for an adult male such as myself. Maybe you've just lost your strength."

Ladybug crossed her arms under her chest. "Want to test that?"

Adrien smirked. "Are you suggesting we spar, Buginette?"

"I'm suggesting you'd better take that back before I punt you across the city."

"Fair enough," he laughed. "I take it back. We both know you're the strongest one between us. You could probably bench press me."

With a lazy grin, Ladybug rolled her eyes and bumped his shoulder with her own. "Of course I could."

They shared a laugh before their voices faded into a comfortable silence. Leaning back against the chimney once more, Adrien rested his hands at his sides, kneading at the gravelly texture of the roof. Ladybug sat beside him—she looked so beautiful, as always—her eyes trained on the Eiffel Tower in the distance. She had her thinking face on, one Adrien recognized easily after spending years by her side, and he idly wondered what was going on in her head. She was so smart, after all, and so wonderful; whatever she was thinking of was surely of utmost importance.

"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" she asked, still gazing into the distance. "I can't stop worrying if we're going to mess up, somehow."

"Oh, we're definitely going to mess up," Adrien said. He shot her a wobbly smirk as she turned and glared at him, his lips quivering with suppressed laughter. Ladybug went to give him a playful jab, but he scooted away, holding up his clawed hands in defense. "Hey, hey, hold on! I'm being serious here. We  _are_  going to mess up, eventually, but I doubt it'll be anything drastic. Like, maybe we'll forget to pay rent one month or drop a new pack of eggs on the floor. That's what I mean."

Ladybug huffed. By the twitch at the corners of her mouth, Adrien could tell she was fighting back a smile. "What are you getting at?"

Fixing himself into a relaxed position, Adrien placed his hands behind his head. "What I mean is that stuff happens. We're human; we're gonna mess up. It's in our nature. You don't need to worry yourself over the big things, like if we somehow reveal our identities. If you're gonna worry, worry about the little stuff—the stuff that's more plausible. Like which one of us is gonna clog the sink or accidentally break a plate. That's the stuff we can fix, right? Call a plumber, buy a new plate, you know." Crossing his legs, Adrien wrapped an arm around Ladybug's shoulder and pulled her closer. She didn't object to their proximity, which was a pleasant newness he'd slowly been getting used to. "Whatever happens, happens. And we'll get through it together, just like we always do. Trust me."

As Adrien gently pressed a finger to Ladybug's nose, she scrunched it up, grinning as she pushed his arm away. She settled against his side with a hand on his chest, a slow, inaudible sigh slipping from her lips and making her visibly relax. The silence between them was long, but not uneasy; they often found themselves lapsing into familiar quiets much like the one they occupied at the moment. Running a hand up and down Ladybug's arm, Adrien allowed his head to rest atop his partner's, his lips curling into a wide smile as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

Any unsuspecting bypasser would surely look see them in their position and assume they were dating—perhaps even a couple who had been involved for years. But, as only they knew, they remained friends despite all of the news articles stating otherwise. Sitting like this, wrapped around each other in an embrace—that was just who they were. That was how their friendship had been built; how it always had been. Since day one they'd had to deal with close contact with each other, being superheroes and all, but neither minded.

In fact...it was one of the things Adrien loved most about their relationship. They were so close. Closer than he'd ever been with anyone, really.

(The urge to press a kiss to his Lady's fringe was almost too hard to resist, but he refrained. They weren't like that.)

"Hey, Chat Noir?" Ladybug's voice peeped up over the purr of the city.

Adrien hummed in question. He could feel Ladybug smile against his suit.

"You're my best friend," she said.

"I've been upgraded to best friend status?" Chuckling, Adrien squeezed her shoulder, grin widening as his Lady rolled her eyes. "What about that friend that moved to America you talk about a lot, huh? Have I surpassed her?"

Ladybug sat up and Adrien mourned the loss of her warmth as she nudged his hand away. "You're different. You're like...it's weird," she said. "You're closer to me than anyone I've ever met and you don't even know who I am."

Shaking his head, Adrien leaned forward to meet her eyes. "That's not true," he told her. "Just because I don't know your name doesn't mean I don't know  _you._ "

Ladybug hummed, wrapping her arms around herself as a particularly chilly gust of wind fluttered around them. She said nothing, gaze downcast at the streets below and legs moving to dangle over the edge of the building. Adrien allowed her a moment of silence, but after a few minutes had passed and she hadn't said anything, he lifted himself up and regarded her with a serious glint in his eyes.

"I do know you," he repeated. "I know your favorite color is pink and that you love cats—don't deny it—and I also know that you're stubborn and selfless and care more about others than you do yourself at times. But most importantly, the number one thing I know about you-" he placed a hand on her shoulder, scooting up to allow his own legs to hang over the edge, "-is that you know  _me._  And that's why we're doing this, right? Because we know each other, and we're comfortable with each other. But, if you still feel unsure and don't want to move in with me, we really don't have to-"

"Oh, shush, you silly cat," Ladybug breathed. She pressed her face into his bicep and, much to Adrien's delight, flushed red. "Stop it with that sappy stuff. You're making me blush."

"I'm serious," he said. "If you really feel uncomfortable or scared or anything that makes you not want to take this step, you don't have to. Whatever you choose, I don't mind. I just want you to be happy. That's what's most important."

Ladybug let out a noise that was a mix between a groan and a squeal. "When you say stuff like that it makes me want to scream."

Face scrunching up with amusement, Adrien let out a bark of laughter. "What? Why?"

"Because—" Ladybug balled her hands into fists. "You're just so- so  _sweet_ and caring and giving me like, such high expectations for future boyfriends and stuff."

Well,  _that_  was certainly a surprise. Him, setting high expectations for  _her?_  That fact was so surprising that Adrien nearly choked on his own spit.

Clearing his throat and collecting his composure, Adrien pulled her closer. "Well, you can just date me, then. I'm sure I could meet all of those expectations."

It wasn't right to say that. She was able to date anyone she wanted—and he knew she didn't like him that way—so he really shouldn't have said it, because-

Ladybug laughed and gave his shoulder a gentle nudge with her fist. "We're too close for that, chaton."

-because of that.

"Besides," she continued as his heart wilted, "I'm sure you have countless fans clawing at your door. An attractive guy like you has plenty of pretty ladies and gents to choose from, I would think."

While his mind was reeling at the fact that Ladybug had called him attractive, Adrien couldn't bathe within his excitement for longer than a few seconds. He glanced away as his black ears drooped and forced a smile to his lips as his partner gazed at him with mirth in her eyes, dark eyelashes tickling the cheeks that looked just so perfectly kissable. She was beautiful, impossibly so—sometimes so beautiful that it hurt.

" _We're too close for that, chaton."_

Swallowing back the disappointment that threatened to cause his voice to waver, Adrien instead settled for joking, "Are you implying that I'm a  _slut_ , my Lady?"

Ladybug positively guffawed. "No!" she practically screeched. "I am  _not_  implying that, silly. But hey, if that's what gets you going-"

"Kidding," he said. Though the amusement within him had died, he still smiled at her, for his heart warmed with every look she threw his way. "You're the only one for me, my Lady."

The nickname had a sour taste to it for a moment there, because no matter how much he dreamed...she wasn't his.

"Well." Ladybug let out a breathy laugh. "You  _are_  my best friend. Maybe one day, if I'm like, thirty-five and still haven't found a boyfriend, you and I can get married. How's that sound?"

"You had me at 'boyfriend,'" Adrien said. Though he knew she was joking, because there was no way someone as charming as her wouldn't be in a relationship by then, a twinge of hope sparked within his chest. "I'll make an elaborate proposal. Underneath the Eiffel Tower on a snowy winter evening, so you can happily jump into my arms and cause me to slip back into the snow in front of the crowd that gathered. We can go home afterward and drink hot cocoa under a heated blanket to warm up."

Ladybug grinned up at him with a teasing glint in her eyes. "Why, Chat Noir, have you thought about this before?"

Was it not obvious? Adrien had spent almost every waking  _minute_  thinking about marrying her someday.

"Only a few times," he lied through a smile.

Ladybug crossed her arms, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards. "Mhm, okay. If you say so."

And so they sat as they always did. Shoulders pressed together, bodies brushing side-by-side, the radiant glow of the city bouncing off their suits and skin in tandem. The breeze still hadn't subsided, but it had calmed, allowing the pair to sit relaxed in the warmth they shared. Though Adrien desperately wanted to wrap his arms around her and embrace her against his form to savor her scent and heat, he knew he shouldn't; Ladybug deserved her personal space, and he'd never overstep her personal boundaries.

"Hey," he said after a good ten minute's silence. It was April, so on the occasional chilly night like this one, his breath would cloud out in front of him before disappearing a brief moment later. "Have you checked up on our place yet? We've gotta go down there somehow and check it out—sign a lease or something."

Ladybug pulled her phone out of the belt on her waist. They'd both taken up the habit of bringing their phones on "patrol" for games or silly selfies, which was really just an excuse for them to spend more time in each other's company. "Let me see," she said, opening up her browser and accessing the listing through her bookmarks. "I'll see if we can schedule a time to meet up with the realtor, but- oh, no!"

Adrien leaned his head over her shoulder to peer at her phone. "What is it?"

With a whine slipping from her lips and disappointment washing over her face, Ladybug held her phone up for him to see, looking about as miserable as a kicked puppy. Adrien was about to ask what was bothering her for a second time when he saw it:

The beautiful apartment they'd had their sights set on was already occupied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks to my bro nick for beta-ing. ur da best dude
> 
> so i made some uh....decisions. originally i really had planned for them to move into the nicer apartment, but that was just the thing—it was _too_ nice. like yeah, adrien has money, but this is their first apartment man. plus i can think of so many more shenanigans coming from a smaller apartment than a super nice one that already has like, everything they need
> 
> so tiny apartment for two best friends it is >;3c


	5. A Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette reconnect and make a deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: writes literally 4.5k in under three hours for a fanfic  
> also me: cant write more than eight sentences in an entire day for an IMPORTANT ESSAY
> 
> here take this *throws chapter at my readers*

Finding out that the beautiful apartment she'd had her hopes set on had been taken was disappointing, to say the least.

With a sigh, Marinette flopped down onto her bed and frowned deeply into her pillow. She couldn't believe it. She and Chat had been so ready to move, and they had been  _sure_ that apartment had been the one for them...but they had acted too late.

Someone else—whoever that person, or people, may be—had beaten them to the punch.

She and Chat Noir really should have sealed the deal sooner. While they both were still so new to the whole apartment-hunting business, Marinette really hadn't expected their apartment to go to soon.

(Well, it wasn't "theirs." It never really had been.)

Chat Noir had done his best to comfort her. She was still sad, though. It really had been perfect.

The apartment was large with a homey feel, had a beautiful garden terrace and two bedrooms big enough to keep her sewing supplies and a queen-sized bed, as well as being in a safe location with a view overlooking the Seine. All of those were nice qualities, of course, but her favorite attribute of the apartment was its spacious living room with floor-to-ceiling windows. She could imagine herself sitting on the couch, sketching and listening to her favorite music as sunlight streamed in like golden wisps of warmth onto the hardwood floor...

She daydreamed about it extensively. What it would be like to live there, to wake up in the morning and open the burgundy curtains to a view of the sunrise over the city. She would make a pot of coffee for her and Chat Noir. Maybe she'd even pick up breakfast at her parent's bakery and bring it home for them to share because they made the best pastries. Perhaps she'd do some yoga in the living room—there was certainly enough space—and after she could take a shower in one of the two pristine bathrooms before spending the day relaxing on the terrace.

Marinette's heart sunk as she remembered that she wouldn't be able to live those fantasies in that perfect apartment. It was gone; taken; occupied. Not theirs. A whimper of disappointment rose in her throat and slipped from her lips before she could suppress it.

(Marinette wouldn't admit it to Chat Noir, but she had cried on the way home. Just a little bit.)

"I'm so mad," she muttered to nobody in particular. "How could we be so—so stupid?"

"What do you mean?" Flitting over to rest on her shoulder, Tikki's tiny mouth turned downward, paw stroking the top of Marinette's head. Her indigo eyes softened at the sight of her Ladybug in distress.

Marinette turned on her back to stare at the ceiling. "The apartment. The one that was so perfect. We should have just taken it the moment we saw it. Now somebody else owns it and… and I'm still here!"

"Marinette, it's okay," Tikki told her. "You and Chat Noir will find another place just as special. And, if it doesn't seem special at first, you two can make it that way."

"You're sweet, Tikki."

"Besides," Tikki continued. "Wasn't that apartment over budget? I know you weren't happy with the idea of Chat Noir paying more per month than you."

Marinette hummed in thought, chewing on her bottom lip as she mulled over her reply. "You're right," she said. "I'd forgotten about that. I would have ended up feeling so guilty."

Even if Chat Noir insisted that he didn't mind paying more,  _Marinette_ did. She didn't want to live in a place where he fronted most of the money. She'd feel like a freeloader.

"It was farther away from your parents' house, too." With a stretch of her legs, Tikki curled up into a ball on Marinette's pillow and nestled into a more comfortable position. "I know it was beautiful, Marinette, but I think it was a good thing you didn't get that one. In the end, things would have been harder for you."

Tikki had a point. Although the apartment had seemingly been the best choice, perhaps, Marinette thought, she had been blinded by its appearance. The rent was horrendously expensive compared to her monthly earnings, and the distance between her work and back would have been difficult due to the fact that she was yet to own a car, and using Ladybug as a transportation method wasn't something she liked to do often.

Besides, she didn't want to rush into things. She and Chat still had a lot to figure out, and signing a lease on the first apartment they came across was a little risky. There would be others, and Marinette definitely wanted to have the opportunity to tour and look around them before they made a final decision. How she and Chat Noir would do that, she wasn't sure yet, but…

Well, they'd find a way. They always did.

"Thanks for the advice, Tikki," Marinette said, tickling under her companion's chin. Tikki giggled in response.

With a smile on her face that was much more relaxed than it had been an hour prior, Marinette sat up and stretched her arms high above her head. It was late; after she and Chat had discovered their apartment was occupied, patrol had resumed. It went on for a lot longer than Marinette had expected, but she blamed the bad news for her sluggish behavior. Now, it was nearing midnight, and she had an eight A.M. class in the morning.

(She wanted to be annoyed at Chat Noir for being so nice and fun to spend time with, but she couldn't find the will to be. He made her feel like she never wanted their patrols to end.)

She hauled herself out of bed with an apology to Tikki for stirring her. Changing into a pair of pajamas and speeding through her nightly routine of teeth brushing and face washing, Marinette slipped right back under her duvet just as the clock struck twelve, the comfort of her bed familiar and welcoming. As she nuzzled her face into her pillow, she sighed. Tomorrow was another day.

"I hope we find something that'll be nice to live in," Marinette said, thinking out loud.

Tikki lifted her head from Marinette's pillow and smiled encouragingly. "Wasn't there a smaller apartment? I remember there being another that was your second choice."

With an intense yawn that made the corners of Marinette's eyes prick with tears, she nodded in recollection, eyes widening and heart skipping a beat from excitement. "Right!" she exclaimed. "I'd forgotten about that, Tikki. It was small, but… nice. There was definitely enough room for the both of us if we squeezed. Only one bathroom, though…"

"You can take turns," Tikki offered.

"The kitchen was super tiny," Marinette continued. "But that's okay because Chat's told me before that he has no idea how to cook, so I'll really be the only one using it on a daily basis. It didn't have a washer or dryer, but I think there's a laundromat around the corner…"

Tikki's voice became quieter as she began to drift off to sleep. "That's good, Marinette."

"...it  _did_  seem really cozy. Comfortable, almost."

"So you like it?"

After a moment of deliberation, Marinette nodded. "Yeah," she said, fluffing up one of her pillows and turning onto her side, head resting on her forearm. "Yeah. It's only twelve minutes away, too, and in a nice part of town right next to a park. I could take walks there. It's close to my work, too, and rent would be cheaper." A grin split her face as she closed her eyes, images of a small apartment adorned by homey decorations and warm lighting filling her head. "I'm sure it'll be just fine."

Tikki mumbled a sleepy reply, but Marinette didn't quite catch it. She was too busy fidgeting with excitement, because tomorrow—tomorrow, she would tell Chat Noir about the other apartment, and they'd make it theirs if he was willing.

 _Theirs._  The word echoed in her head over and over again.

They would own their own place. A home where she could live with the one person she trusted more than anyone else in the world. They could stay up late watching movies on weekends, eat ice cream straight from the tub, or play their favorite video games together. They could even build blanket forts or- or make dinner together as best friends. Heck, they could even sit in their pajamas all day without a care in the world. It would be like a never-ending sleepover with Chat Noir.

Part of Marinette was nervous about being around him nearly twenty-four-seven when they didn't know each other's identities, but she urged herself not to worry so much. She trusted Chat Noir, after all, and he'd never purposefully infringe on her privacy. Things would be okay. They were close friends; everything would work out just fine.

As she felt herself slipping into peaceful dreams, Marinette was positively beaming.

* * *

It was a rough day.

Nearly missing her first class that morning because her alarm hadn't gone off, Marinette had sat through her classes unable to focus due to thoughts of her and Chat Noir's apartment on the mind. She'd completely blanked during a quiz, found her stomach rumbling loudly during a lecture because she'd forgotten to eat, and had accidentally left her notes on the history of fashion at home when they were absolutely necessary for the day's assignment.

It was safe to say her morning had started out unpleasant, but she was determined not to let it get to her. Thoughts of meeting up with her partner later that night to tell him about her findings urged her to keep moving through the day with her head held high.

Marinette gave a brief glance at her phone to check the time as she walked down the street. It was one in the afternoon, past the usual time she ate lunch. With the added hunger from a breakfast forgotten, her stomach was growling up a hungry storm, and she couldn't wait to step inside the downstairs of the bakery to get a whiff of fresh bread and make some food for herself before she had to rush off to work.

The air was starting to get warmer. Marinette relished in the ability to wear skirts again after such a cold winter, and she was thankful the chilly weather had subsided for the season. Smiling up at the sunshine, she took in a long, deep breath and sighed, enjoying the way the rays of light warmed her skin. It was a beautiful day, really—the clouds were so puffy and white that Marinette wanted to transform just to get closer to them. If she tried hard enough, maybe she could even touch one.

The sky was so  _blue_  today. So blue and bright and dotted with white clouds. One in particular caught her eye and she grinned up at it, thinking it looked exactly like a ca—

"Woah!"

Stumbling into a broad chest, Marinette's arms flailed and her legs wobbled before she fell back towards the sidewalk. Blurs of light from staring at the sky filled her vision, and as an arm connected with the small of her back, she was left feeling weightless and dazed.

Had she tripped over something…?

"You might want to watch where you're going," a cheerful voice laughed, obvious mirth in the stranger's tone. "You're going to hurt yourself like that, Marinette."

Blinking to rid the circles from her gaze, Marinette swiveled her head up to stare at the figure as he brought her to her feet. It took her a moment to come to terms with where she was and who she was talking to, and as her eyes adjusted to the sight of tall, blond and handsome, her heart practically leaped out of her chest.

It was Adrien. Adrien Agreste; the boy she hadn't seen since Christmas and hadn't spoken to since their slightly-drunken conversation by the punch bowl.

"Adrien?" she asked, unable to suppress the surprise in her voice. Oh, god, she probably looked like the same old maladroit girl she was back in collége and lycée, staring at the sky and bumping right into him without a shred of awareness. Her cheeks reddened just from the sheer embarrassment of the situation.

Adrien beamed at her, his smile as bright as the sun that had temporarily blinded her. "Hey, Marinette. Long time no see, huh?"

His hand was still on her bicep. The contact felt nicer than she'd liked to admit.

(The small, touch-starved part of her didn't want him to ever let go.)

After a moment of staring Marinette figured it would be polite of her to answer, so she offered her hand in a wave. "Adrien! H-hi- hey! It's been forever! What are…"  _Oh god,_  she thought,  _his eyes are even greener than I remember._  "...what are you doing on this side of town?"

It  _was_  odd for Adrien to be so close to the bakery. He was usually in different parts of the city during the day, sometimes even out of it completely for his modeling—that's what Nino said, anyways—so… what was he doing here?

Adrien went to play with the hairs on the nape of his neck. It was a tell-tale old habit of his that Marinette had picked up on years ago. "Ah, well," he said with a high-pitched laugh. "I was actually on my way to see you. You see, I have a silly favor to ask."

Marinette blinked. "A favor?"

What kind of favor would Adrien possibly need from  _her?_ They hadn't even spoken in five months. The only way she'd kept up with what he was doing was through Nino!

Somewhere deep inside of her, Marinette wanted to be annoyed that he just turned up out of nowhere to ask her for something, but he was just too damn cute to turn away. Besides, Adrien was the sweetest person she'd ever met in her life, and he'd never asked her for a favor before. If he was coming to her after they hadn't spoken in what felt like forever, well, it had to be something important, right?

Adrien opened his mouth to speak but promptly closed it as Marinette's stomach let out a plea for food. The sound had her blush deepening to a crimson, and she self-consciously placed a hand on her belly. It didn't seem to phase Adrien, though—he simply smiled and pointed a thumb towards the bakery doors. "You want to go inside?"

Marinette hadn't even noticed she'd made it home. With a nod, she led him around to the back door that led up to the apartment rather than taking him through the front. "Let's go this way. My parents would probably attack you with love and free pastries if they saw you."

Adrien laughed, and it was a gorgeous sound. "Is that such a bad thing?"

"Yes." Fishing her keys out of her pocket and unlocking the door, Marinette threw him a smile over her shoulder. "They'd fatten you up until you're rolling out the door and down the street. Too much of a good thing, you know?" The door opened, and Marinette found herself feeling light on her feet as Adrien held it for her. He was still such a gentleman after all the years they had known each other.

"Aw, there's no harm in that," Adrien countered, shutting the door behind him and following her up the stairs. "I could stand to gain a little pastry weight."

 _Your dad would kill you though,_  she thought bitterly. Just for that, she'd take out some cookies for him to eat upstairs. Maybe shove some in a bag for him to slip home for later.

"I'll sneak you some," Marinette said with a grin. "On the house."

Adrien touched a hand to his chest as they made it upstairs, his lips twitching into a grin. "How sweet."

Marinette paused in the middle of the doorway to look over her shoulder with a cocked brow. "Adrien, was that a pun?"

Adrien merely smirked, a chuckle causing his voice to waver as he said, "Maybe."

Marinette gave a playful roll of her eyes in response.

Things were quiet as she made her lunch. Adrien sat on the couch with one of his legs propped over the other, leisurely fiddling with his phone while Marinette did what she needed. She only had an hour before she had to leave for work, and she was thankful she could at least spend time with an old friend while she ate. Usually, she sat alone upstairs while her parents worked down below, passing the time by watching YouTube videos or chatting with Tikki. Adrien visiting was a nice way to mix things up—even if it was a tad awkward.

"So…" Marinette said as she sat next to him on the couch, a little farther away than what she would normally consider a friendly distance. "You had a favor to ask?"

Adrien looked up from his phone and pocketed it, hand retreating to the back of his neck as his eyes averted her own. It was like a switch had been flicked—he'd gone from relaxing on her couch in one moment to an anxious teenager the next. Marinette crossed her legs and placed a hand on her elbow (a habit she'd never grown out of), cocking her head to the side as she watched her friend mull over something that was obviously eating at him. It was like he was afraid to say whatever was on his mind; as if she would get upset at him or something like that.

"Adrien?" she asked after a silence that had been a little too long to be comfortable. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he said, but it was an obvious lie by the way his voice cracked. He cleared his throat before continuing. "I'm okay. I'm sorry, I just realized how rude of me it is to pop back into your life after not speaking to you for a while only to ask something from you. I didn't even think about that until now." His shoulders wilted and he looked positively deflated as Marinette gazed over him.

The sight caused her to want to reach out to him, and her fingers twitched from anticipated contact, but she refrained. He was right—it was a tad rude of him to do so, especially after they hadn't seen each other in months, but it was clear that hadn't been his intention. He was in need of something; whatever it was, Marinette wanted to help him. So what if it had been five months? They were still friends whether or not they were close anymore. She'd be willing to do anything for him so long as it was within reason.

Shaking her head, Marinette laid her hands on her lap to keep them from touching him. "Nonsense," she said. "It's okay, Adrien. It's nice to see you again and I don't mind giving you help if you need it. What is it?"

He was quiet. His eyes flickered to meet hers for a fleeting moment before they glanced away again, and he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his white hoodie in a motion that seemed self-conscious. Resting both feet on the floor, Adrien murmured, "I kind of messed up, and said something I shouldn't have, and now I'm in trouble."

Marinette's eyes widened and her voice caught in her throat. "Wh-what? Trouble?"

Adrien shook his head. "No, that's not right. I'm sorry, I worded that wrong." Leaning forward, he clasped his hands together and tapped his thumbs against themselves, thinking. "So, I'm moving out in a few weeks, right? And I go to tell my dad about it a few nights ago. The only problem is I'm moving out with someone I can't let him know about, so I sort of told him I was living with a friend of mine that he knows and likes. Which is good and all, because he believed it, but… Now he wants to meet her. But he can't do that because… Well." He squinted in thought, eyes pausing on her own. "Well, she has her reasons."

All Marinette could offer him was a confused stare. What on Earth was he talking about?

Seeming to catch on to her perplexity, Adrien sighed. "To put it simply, I'm moving out with a person my dad can't meet. So… I need someone to help me convince him I'm moving in with someone he can trust."

A bubble of anxiety began to stir within Marinette's chest. She was beginning to get a vague idea of where this was going and wasn't entirely sure how she felt about the whole idea just yet. "I'm sorry," she said, voice soft. "I don't want to sound rude, Adrien, but what does this have to do with me?"

Adrien visibly cringed. "About that," he said, shoulders hunching. "I… I panicked. I panicked and spat out the first name that came to my mind when my father asked who my roommate was going to be, and I…" As if to hide his face, he buried his face in his hands and groaned. "I said I was moving in with you. But I'm obviously not, so I-"

Marinette's eyes widened to the size of a dinner plate. "With  _me?_ " She felt speechless. While flattered she was the first person he thought of, her tongue fumbled to form words and her mind was reeling with the thought of how ironic this whole situation was. Adrien was moving out with someone his father couldn't meet, and she was doing the exact same thing—moving in with her partner whose identity had to remain a secret. It certainly made the whole "meeting the parents" thing difficult. Living with Chat Noir was something she'd been looking forward to, but she hadn't exactly thought out how she'd allow her parents to meet her roommate (if they would at all.)

"I know, I'm sorry," Adrien said, deflated. "I really screwed up and I understand if you're mad at me. I'm really sorry for coming over here, actually." Sitting up, Adrien combed his fingers through his hair and shot a quick glance at the door—a sign Marinette could interpret as his desire to leave. "It was so stupid of me to turn up here to ask this of you, and I'm really realizing that the more I talk about this. Fuck, Mari, I'm sorry-"

Marinette had missed that nickname.

As Adrien rambled on about how sorry he was, Marinette contemplated the idea. It wasn't a bad one, per se, just something she hadn't expected. She wasn't sure who the girl Adrien was moving out with was or why she needed to be kept a secret from his dad, but that wasn't any of her business. Truthfully, if she played along with Adrien's plan, it might end up working out in her favor as well. Surely if she pretended to be Adrien's roommate for the sake of his father, he could do the same for her?

"Adrien," she said, scooting closer to lay a hand on his arm. "Relax. It's not a big deal."

Adrien's viridian eyes sparkled with relief. "It's not?"

"No," Marinette laughed. It was kind of silly, actually. "Don't beat yourself up over it. It is a  _little_  crappy that you just sprung this on me out of nowhere, but I don't mind helping you out. Actually, I'm kind of in a similar situation. I'm also moving out soon."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," Adrien winced. But at the mention of her moving out, he perked up and asked, "Wait… Really? You excited?"

Marinette nodded. "Mhm." She crossed her legs and leaned back into the cushions of her couch, eyes resting comfortably on the ceiling. "Believe it or not, the person I'm moving out with is someone I have to keep secret from my parents, too. Not because they'd get mad or anything, but… Well, he has his reasons."

Adrien laughed as she tossed him a wink.

"Anyways," she continued. "I can't stand liars or being one myself, but I'll make you a deal: I'll convince your dad that I'm the person you're moving out with if you pretend to be the person that I'm moving out with. So then there'll be no questions and both our parents will think we're living together when we're really not. Sound good?"

Adrien merely nodded, taken aback by her response.

While the thought of lying to her parents (or anyone, really) was absolutely grating, Marinette knew she didn't really have much of a choice when her identity was at stake. Revealing herself to her parents was against the rules and incredibly dangerous; it wasn't worth getting upset over a little white lie when putting her parents jeopardy was far worse of an outcome.

"So?" Marinette held out a hand, pink-painted nails contrasting against Adrien's tanned skin. "We have a deal?"

"Yes!" Adrien exclaimed, his voice high-pitched and eyes bright. He grasped her hand firmly and gave it a shake so forceful that Marinette's whole arm was taken into the movement. "Yes, oh my goodness, thank you so much, Marinette. I promise I'll pay you back somehow. Y-you want to go to lunch or have me cover your rent for a month or something?"

"There's no need for that," Marinette said, lips curling upward into a smile. "You're already paying me back by telling a lie for me."

Adrien's grin reached his eyes, and the dimples on his cheeks became prominent as he teased, "Now there's a thought. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, telling a lie?"

Her expression flattened at his joke and she wanted to look displeased, but she couldn't find it within herself to suppress the grin that stretched across her face. "Keep making cracks like that, Agreste, and the deal's off."

"You'd do that to me?" he asked in mock offense. "But we're  _friends,_ Marinette. That hurts."

"Yeah, yeah." Marinette waved him off with a giggle—that was probably full of a little too much delight—and stood from her spot on the couch to sit at the dinner table, where her lunch sat on a plate. "So, when am I convincing your dad that I'm your new roommate?"

Adrien joined her at the table, sitting backwards on one of the chairs. "Not sure just yet. I'll probably have Nathalie set up a night where we can have dinner and allow you guys to get acquainted. It might not be for a while yet, but I'll try to get him to free up some time soon. I'm trying to get out as quickly as I can."

"In a big hurry?" Marinette asked. She took a bite of her food and her mood was immediately improved just from the taste alone; she hadn't realized how hungry she was until now.

"Sort of."

She swallowed her food before asking, "Why's that?"

Adrien offered a shrug, his expression hardening. "Ol' Père isn't any more fun to live with than he was when I was a kid. Guess I'm just so excited to finally have my own place with someone I love rather than spend my days alone at the manor."

With someone he- he  _loves?_

That thought took Marinette by surprise. Though, she supposed it shouldn't have. Adrien was twenty-one, devilishly handsome with the soul of an angel—it was no shocker that he was in a relationship. She wanted to be jealous and a small part of her was, but she had to remind herself that she had no reason to be. Adrien deserved someone who made him happy. She would find someone someday who made her happy, too.

"It's nice that you're moving in with someone you care about," Marinette said, resting her sandwich back on the plate. "I'm excited that I finally get to move out too. Even though I've always loved living with my parents, they're so nosey! It's one of the reasons why I'm glad I'm getting my own place, especially with someone I trust more than anybody. It's a nice feeling, knowing you can live with somebody and not worry. A safe feeling."

Adrien nodded, voice breathy. "Yeah, I know what you mean. The girl I'm moving in with, she's like… My everything. And I'm so happy we're going to share a place together. It's all I've ever wanted, really." His cheeks heated to a light shade of red, and the corners of his eyes crinkled from how wide his smile grew. He was so happy, so  _excited_ ; the joy to be living with someone he loved was clear on his face.

Marinette felt the joy radiating from him. It made her smile stretch across her face. All his life Adrien had done things for others without question, and now he was finally doing something for himself. His girlfriend—at least, that's who Marinette assumed she was—sounded like she made his life a wonderful experience, and he appeared absolutely radiant in that moment. Marinette's heart warmed at the thought of how much happier Adrien must be.

While she was a little sad they hadn't kept up with each other, she was glad they were getting to talk and catch up now. It was so nice just to hear his voice again.

"I'm glad you and your girlfriend get to have a place together," Marinette said sweetly. "It must be such a great feeling to be able to look forward to waking up next to the person you love every day. I'm so happy for you, Adrien."

Adrien let out a soft laugh. "Oh," he said, gaze lowering to the table as his cheeks became crimson. "That's sweet of you, Marinette, but we're not dating. Just really good friends. Thank you though."

"Oh!" Marinette blinked in surprise. Huh, funny… With the way he talked about her, it was like they'd been in love for years. Unless…

"Ohhhh," she said slyly, the truth dawning on her. "You like her, though."

The tips of his ears darkening, Adrien tried to scoff but whatever noise came out sounded weak and unconvincing. "Wha- no! No, I don't… I meant love as in, like,  _friendship_ -"

She gave him a flat stare, and Adrien submitted.

"Okay, okay, you got me," he sighed, holding his hands up in defeat. "But she doesn't know and I don't think I'll ever work up the guts to tell her."

"Why not?" With how dopey his smile got whenever he mentioned her, Marinette was sure there was no way in hell he would be able to keep that information private for long.

Clicking his teeth, Adrien shrugged, offering nothing more than a shake of his head.

"Adrien…" Marinette rested her cheek on her palm, smile knowing. Oh man, she didn't even need an answer. She could clearly remember how tongue-tied she used to get around  _him_ back in lycée when she was head-over-heels for his kind soul. "If you really love her, you gotta tell her."

 _Well, now you're just being a hypocrite,_ she thought to herself. Here she was giving Adrien advice she had never followed herself. For a brief second she wondered what things would have been like if she  _had_  confessed, but there was no use dwelling on the what-ifs. She didn't like him like that anymore, and that was okay.

Adrien gave another shake of his head. "Mm, I would, but… She doesn't like me that way."

"No?" Marinette asked. "How can you tell?"

"Well, we joke a lot," Adrien said. "I'm pretty sure I've dug myself a hole of 'flirting so much she thinks I'm joking' so deep that it's impossible for me to climb out of it at this point."

"You? Flirting?" Marinette laughed at the thought. She didn't think she'd ever seen Adrien flirt a day in her life. "I don't think I believe you, Adrien."

Adrien raised a brow with a quirk of the corner of his lips. "Well you see, Marinette, I'm very different around her. She knows me like nobody else."

Marinette could say the same for herself about Chat Noir. While she didn't love him romantically, she did love him as a best friend, and the way she acted around him was unlike the way she acted around anyone else. She was excited to live in the same space as him and to share her life with him—the most she could behind a mask, anyways.

"I understand that," Marinette said. "I'm like that with the guy I'm going to be living with. It's nice to have someone you can completely be yourself around."

Nodding, Adrien gazed at her with a warm smile on his face, and Marinette was about to offer to get him the pastries she'd promised when his phone buzzed.

"Shoot," he said as he read over whatever text was sent his way. "I'm sorry Mari, but I've gotta run. Got to meet a photographer in thirty minutes. I'll give you a call when I can get my dad to come for a dinner, though."

As he stood from his seat, Marinette nodded, standing with him. "Sounds good. You still have my number?"

With a quick flip through his contacts, Adrien held his phone up for her to see. "Yep. What nights are you usually free?"

"I always have Fridays off," she said. "Except for late Friday nights, because I usually meet Ch-" She clapped a hand to her mouth.  _Fuck, don't tell him you meet Chat Noir for patrols, stupid!_ "...meet up with a friend to hang out."

If Adrien noticed her slip-up, he didn't mention it. "Alright. I'll schedule it for one of the upcoming Fridays then." His phone buzzed once more and he glared down at it before shoving it in his pocket. "I'll see you around?"

"Definitely. Keep in touch, okay? I-" Marinette's face softened as she glanced away, pink dusting the edges of her cheeks. "I've missed you."

There was a pause. Adrien turned, irides glowing like a ray of sunshine and dimples showing as his grin grew three times its previous size. He stood still for a moment, and Marinette was sure he was going to return the sentiment before walking out, but instead he reached out and-

-and he hugged her.

He hugged her and it felt so nice that Marinette wanted to bury herself within his warmth. With his arms around her back and his body leaning forward because he was nearly a foot taller than her at this point, she swore that she'd never felt so light in her life. Clouds—she was on clouds. He smelled like heaven and she was on clouds.

(She wasn't sure why she was feeling so  _weird_  just from being hugged by him. Weird in a good way, but still weird.

She didn't like him like  _that_  anymore. She'd stopped ages ago when they drifted apart…

She didn't. She didn't, she didn't, she…

Oh, who was she kidding.)

As Adrien pulled away from the hug, he flashed her one of his smiles that she had grown to love so much over the years and patted her shoulder, his large hand encompassing it completely. Marinette's legs felt like jello.

"I'll text you, okay?" he said, turning the knob on the door. "I promise I'll do better at keeping in contact this time. We're going to need to if we're both helping each other out in this sticky situation."

Marinette nodded, letting out a faint, "Yeah."

"It was good to see you again, Mari." With a final squeeze of her hand, Adrien turned and walked out the door, calling over his shoulder, "I'll see you later!"

"Yeah," Marinette breathed. Her feet were glued to the floor.

_Yeah._

When she watched him walk down the street from the upstairs window, she kicked herself for forgetting to give him the pastries she'd promised.

Marinette went to work that night feeling weightless and distracted. She had picked up a shift from her coworker at the local fabric shop she'd come to adore over the years, and was thankful it wasn't a long one—only five hours—so she could immediately transform the moment she clocked out.

She wasn't feeling like herself. Growing up with ADHD made her used to dealing with constant distraction, and by now she wasn't phased by the inability to focus at times, but this… This was different. This was very,  _very_  different.

She sorted fabric at a slow pace, hummed to herself as she cleaned the bathrooms (forgetting where she was in the middle of the task), and even managed to snag herself when she was cutting a strip of wool for a customer. She didn't notice the pain, though, and the blood that dripped from her fingertips was lazily cleaned ten minutes after the initial incision.

Her boss asked if everything was alright, and Marinette wasn't sure what to say. She didn't even know the answer to that question herself.

Alya had always told her that she fell in love too easily.

She had never expected herself to fall  _back_ in love just as quickly, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah it's safe to say i dont know what im doing


	6. A Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir decide which apartment they'd like to live in, and Alya is taken aback by the idea of Marinette and Adrien living together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to celebrate finishing an essay in one day last night, i wrote a 5.6k+ chapter in like, 3 hours
> 
> ive died by the way

It was chilly.

Cold nights were a rarity in April, and as Adrien relaxed three stories above a café under the comfort of his transformation, he shivered. Granted the air was brisker the higher up he sat, but he felt most safe when he was off the ground. It was an odd yet familiar feeling; being Chat Noir made him feel free.

And soon, he thought, he'd be even freer. Living with Ladybug under their own roof, in their own apartment with their own shared meals, possessions and moments… He couldn't wait.

Finding out the apartment they had been excited to move into was occupied was definitely a downer on the situation, but Adrien didn't mind all that much. Sure, the place had been beautiful and wonderfully spacious, but it wasn't realistic. He knew himself how stubborn Ladybug could be. If she wasn't happy with the idea of him paying most of the rent, the poor girl would've probably worked herself to death just to make it fifty/fifty.

His lips quirked upwards into a smile at the thought. His Lady was so selfless and she would never make life harder on anyone she cared about if she had a say in it.

He knew she had loved that apartment, though. It pained him to see her so upset over losing it. He'd find her another one—one she could imagine herself loving as much as the one they'd lost. Adrien would search until his Lady was happy, and if he didn't find one, well, he'd keep looking. He'd always keep looking.

Ladybug was amazing. She deserved a home just as much so.

"You asleep, kitty?"

Eyes snapping open at the sound of Ladybug's voice, Adrien's face visibly brightened, his heart skipping a beat. "It's the 'Bug," he said cheerfully. His face hurt from how wide he was smiling. "'Bug's here."

"'Bug's here," Ladybug repeated as she sat by his side. "Why are you out so far? I had to use my tracker to find you."

Adrien could do nothing but offer a shrug. Truthfully he didn't know  _why_ he had ventured so far away from home—the minute he'd left Marinette's he had transformed and just kept running, his body taking its own accord with where it wanted to go. Whether it was his embarrassment about dropping the favor on her so suddenly or his excitement that she had actually agreed, he wasn't sure, but he was happy nonetheless. It was a good night.

"Dunno," he said after a moment. Resting his arms behind his head as he laid back on the roof, he grinned up at her. Her bluebell eyes sparkled down at him and it made everything in the world seem right. "I just love being out at night."

Ladybug scoffed, amusement in her gaze. "Typical nature of a cat. What are you on the hunt for? Pretty girls?" She flicked his bell, and Adrien laughed in response.

"Why search for pretty girls when I've got the prettiest one right next to me?" he asked. His teeth glinted in the neon light of the sign behind them as his grin widened.

"Oh, please," Ladybug chuckled. "We both know  _you're_  the prettiest, Chat Noir." She undid her her braid, rolling her eyes as she laid down next to him. Her hair was wavy from being twisted up for so long. Adrien wanted to run his fingers through it.

"Damn straight," he said in response. His voice wavered from his laughter.

But that was a lie. That was a total, complete lie. Ladybug was the most stunning between them; she was practically ethereal.

Hues of blue and gold bounced off of her suit as the sign behind them flashed, the changing of its colors accentuating her soft skin and gorgeous smile. As Ladybug rolled onto her side to look at him with a brow quizzically cocked, lips so pink and eyelashes brushing the edges of her cheeks every time she blinked, Adrien felt himself falling, just like he did every night. He fell and he fell and he  _fell_  just from being in her presence.

"Love you," he said, adding a playful edge to his tone so she wouldn't take him seriously. He wasn't ready for  _that_  confession just yet. That was a few months—or years—down the road.

"Yeah, yeah." Waving him off with a hand, Ladybug turned onto her back with her hands clasped together on her stomach, eyes trained to the sky. She had her thinking face on. With her teeth nibbling at her bottom lip, thumbs fiddling, brows furrowed and expression hardened, it was obvious something was bothering her. That, or she had something important she had been wanting—no, needing—to tell him.

For the first time that night, Adrien noticed the dark bags underneath her eyes. There had been countless times she had shown up to their little meetings with exhaustion wearing on her, but tonight there was something different. She was… Off...

"You okay, Ladybug?" he asked, voice laced with concern. "You look terrible."

"Thanks," she deadpanned. "Weren't you just telling me that I was the prettiest girl about, I dunno, five minutes ago?"

"That's not what I mean." Sitting up, Adrien propped himself up with his forearms, eyes roaming up and down his Lady's form. He could practically feel the tension vibrating from her muscles. "Here," he said, giving her shoulder a gentle tap. "Sit up."

Ladybug did as she was told, heaving herself up to a sitting position with a faint grunt. It was almost uncanny how quick she had switched from the upbeat girl he'd grown to love to a sore, exhausted 'Bug that just needed a good night's rest.

"It's that obvious, huh?" she asked, and the weariness in her tone was surprising.

Adrien moved to sit behind her. With clawed fingers, he brushed her hair away from her back and Ladybug sighed as he began to work out the kinks in her shoulders. Whatever had happened to her today, it really fucked up her nerves. Her back was so hard and taut that Adrien felt an overwhelming need to protect her and help her relax in any way he could.

"What happened today?" he questioned as he rubbed circles into her back, smiling at the small, pleased hums that slipped from Ladybug's lips due to his ministrations. He was careful not to poke her with his claws, wishing now more than ever that they were retractable.

Ladybug leaned back into his touch. "A lot," she said, and when Adrien asked her to elaborate, she paused for a moment before speaking again: "An old friend visited me today."

"Yeah?" Adrien asked. Her back still felt stiff. "How'd that go?"

"Okay, I guess. Well, until he told me something weird."

Weird? He didn't like the sound of that. "What kind of weird?"

"Like-" He must have hit a particularly good spot because Ladybug paused to emit a short, quiet groan. "Like, I dunno… I can't say too much without revealing details, but he asked me this question out of nowhere. It really surprised me. And I-" She whipped her head around to frown at him when he accidentally stuck her with a claw, and Adrien held up his hands in an apology, allowing her a moment to settle back against him before he continued his work. "I feel different about him, now."

Different? Different. Different was something.

"Different how?" Adrien asked. He moved his hands down to rub her arms as Ladybug leaned back against his chest. "Like, a good different, or a bad different?"

 _Please tell me it's not a bad different,_  he silently begged. He didn't want any guys making his Lady uncomfortable—lest he have to teach them a lesson or two.

"...Both?"

Adrien cocked his head to the side. "Both?"

Ladybug shrugged. "I used to have the biggest crush on him back in lycée. I'm pretty sure I was legitimately in love with him."

He did his best to ignore the spike of jealousy that threatened to flare up within him. "Did you two used to date?"

The laugh that Ladybug released was almost sad. It tugged at his heart. "No," she said, voice soft. "No, but sometimes I wonder what life would be like if we had."

Adrien often wondered how their lives would be different if he and Ladybug had dated, too. Squeezing her hands, he nuzzled his face against her neck and rested his head on her shoulder, allowing his cheek to brush against the material of her suit. "There's no use dwelling on the 'what ifs', Buginette," he told her, but the advice was directed to himself as well. "Did he make you uncomfortable in any way?"

"No," Ladybug answered. "No, he could never."

" _He"_  sounded pretty special…

"So, then… What happened?" Adrien asked.

Ladybug chuckled, but the sound wasn't a happy one. "I think I realized tonight that I never really got over him."

Oh.

_Oh._

Swallowing around the sudden dryness in his mouth, Adrien's hands slowly retreated from Ladybug's own, his body leaning back until it was sitting up straight. "Does he…" He cleared his throat to rid the shakiness in his voice. "Does he know?"

Ladybug shook her head. "He'll never know. He's in love with somebody else."

The world was silent as he felt his parent's heart sink to the very bottom of the ground. It was like the streets had been vacated; the music from the café faded into nothingness, and the usual chatter of pedestrians was eerily absent. There was no sound, nothing except the crest of a delicate breeze, and a quiet, absolutely  _hopeless_  whimper.

Ladybug was crying.

Ladybug was crying and Adrien—Chat Noir, her partner, her closest friend—had no idea what to do.

He'd seen Ladybug cry before, but- he'd never seen her cry like  _this._

She was barely making a sound, yet it was the saddest he'd ever seen her. As she hugged her knees to her chest, she looked like she was trying to bury her face within her thighs, head hung low and body trembling as she tried her damnedest to hold back the tears. But she couldn't. She couldn't, and- and Adrien was just  _sitting_  there-

He was just sitting there, eyes wide from surprise, heart-wrenching from how badly he desired to just scoop her up and take her home to wherever she lived to tuck her into bed and make her a hot, sweet drink. She didn't deserve this pain—this hurt. She didn't deserve any of it.

The lack of reaction from him must have made her feel embarrassed because she attempted to apologize, but Adrien wouldn't allow it. She had no reason to apologize for feeling the way she did. Her body shivered as he wrapped his arms around her, and she pressed her face against his chest as she sniveled and whimpered and  _cried._

"Shh," Adrien whispered. There were shudders along her skin as his arms ran up and down her back. "Hey, it's alright. It's alright, Buginette."

"I'm sorry," she started, but Adrien shook his head.

"Don't apologize," he told her. "This? This right here? This is normal. You don't need to feel bad for crying. I understand that you're hurting."

"It's not even that," she sniveled. "I'm not even really that upset about the whole thing, I-I think I'm just overwhelmed. I've had so much going on lately, especially t-today. From being late for school and forgetting breakfast and seeing  _him_ a-and cutting myself at work, I mean,  _fuck,_ today has just been horrible!"

That was something Adrien could understand. Stress was something he was all-too-familiar with, and he was no stranger to the occasional breakdown.

"Bad days come and go," he said. "It's alright."

Ladybug's hands balled into fists against his torso. She was quiet, now, but the tears still streamed down her cheeks and dripped from her chin. Adrien used the pad of his thumb to wipe the moisture away, smiling gently as Ladybug leaned into his touch.

Even if they weren't  _in_ love, they did still  _love_  each other.

Music began to drift up from the café's outdoor terrace below. It was soft, tender; the type of typical French music a person would hear in one of those cliché romance movies. People were laughing, clapping and dancing, and Adrien's feet began to twitch as an idea formed in his head.

"Hey," he said, sparing a glance over the edge of the roof to peer down at the civilians shuffling around the musicians. "You hear that?"

Ladybug looked up at him with her eyes glossy and full of tears, and asked, "Hear what?"

A woman's chortle drifted up from the street, and Adrien smiled as the music grew louder. "That."

Ladybug nodded, bluebells glinting in the neon lights. "I hear it."

"Then come on." Standing, Adrien grabbed hold of his Lady's hand and pulled her up, grinning as she shot him a puzzled look. Instead of answering her he gave her a simple bow and reached out his hand. He even added a wink for good measure. "Shall we?"

Wiping her face with a gloved hand, Ladybug gazed down at his hand for a minute so long that Adrien thought for sure she was going to refuse, but instead she smiled and nodded, grabbing hold of his hand and placing her other on his shoulder. Adrien responded with a grin as long as the Seine and placed his free hand on her waist, giving the one he held an affectionate squeeze. The music slowed, and Ladybug was clumsy as they waltzed, even stepping on his feet a few times. Adrien didn't mind in the slightest. She was happy, laughing, even—and that was the most important thing of all.

"I bet after a good night's rest you're going to be feeling a whole lot better. Tell you what," Adrien said, giving her nose a gentle boop with the pad of his finger before he twirled her around, "if you don't, you come find me. I'll stash some money in my pockets and we'll go get dinner and ice cream, my treat."

 _That_ made a tiny smile perk at the corner of his Lady's lips. She blinked up at him as he dipped her, and he enjoyed the way the lights of the neon sign flashed behind them as they danced.

"And even if I do feel better?" Ladybug asked.

Adrien grinned. "Then we'll still go, just to celebrate that you're feeling better. Deal?"

Ladybug laughed, and the sound was angelic—even better than the sweet tune the musicians were playing below. "That sounds great, Chat Noir."

"Good." He squeezed her in a hug, and Ladybug reciprocated it even tighter. Adrien wondered if she could feel how frantically his heart was thumping against his chest.

"You know…" Ladybug began, voice so soft against his shoulder he wasn't sure if it was her speaking or the group of people at the café. "I don't only wonder what life would be like if- if  _he_  and I had dated."

Adrien rested his cheek atop her head after pressing a kiss to her fringe, humming in question.

"Sometimes…" she paused to sigh, warmth trickling in on the edge of her voice. "Sometimes I wonder what things would be like if  _you_  and I were together."

Someone needed to call 112, because Adrien's heart had ceased beating.

She couldn't just  _say_  stuff like that! Was she trying to kill him? Murder him in the sweetest possible homicide he'd ever witnessed? Albeit theonly homicide he'd ever witnessed, but still!

Emitting a strangled noise that was a mixture of a screech and a moderate agreement, Adrien coughed, choking on air. He swallowed thickly in an attempt to regain his composure (and beath) before combing his fingers through his hair, pulling at the strands and musing it completely. "Y-yeah?" he wheezed, thankful Ladybug hadn't seemed to catch on to his minor freakout. "You do, huh?"

Ladybug nodded, and that was all that was said on the subject.

Things were quiet after that. The song was over, the people had subdued their voices, and neither of them spoke a word. It was therapeutic in a way. Adrien could feel his partner breathing against him, and her heartbeat wasn't nearly as fast as his own, but it was comforting in the least.

Still, Adrien wondered. What  _would_ things be like if she and he wound up together? Would they reveal their identities and still move in together, or would they keep their civilian lives a secret while they dated just as Ladybug and Chat Noir? He would be okay with that, he supposed, if that's what she really wanted. He'd be okay with anything she liked.

"Oh, guess what I found," Ladybug said, breaking the silence. Adrien noticed the music had resumed below. "Remember that tiny apartment we came across when we were searching? You know, one of the two we had picked as the ones we liked the most."

Nodding, Adrien pulled away from their embrace—reluctantly—and gazed into her eyes. "Yeah," he said. "I remember."

Ladybug clasped her hands together excitedly. "Well, it's still available. I was doing some research on my break tonight, and if you're still interested, we can set up a time to meet with the realtor by Thursday. It really is a nice little place, cozy a-and warm and-"

"Yes," Adrien said, nodding once more (although this time it was much more of an animated movement.) "Yes. Yes, it was perfect. If you want it, it's ours."

"So, that's our place?" Looking up at him with eyes sparkling in excitement, nobody would have ever guessed that Ladybug had been crying that night. She was jovial, legs wiggling in the adorable way they did whenever she was aflutter, and she gave a hop for good measure. It was endearing. "That's our home? And we're going to actually get it this time, right?"

A noise of affirmation rose from Adrien's throat, and he beamed as Ladybug jumped up and down in enthusiasm.

"It's ours," he said. "And we're going to live the crap out of it."

"Yes!" Full of energy, Ladybug gave his shoulder a punch, arms wrapping around his neck as she lifted herself into his arms for a full-fledged, Ladybug-sized bear hug. Adrien ended up having to support her thighs so she wouldn't fall right back onto the roof. "Ohh, I'm so happy. You have no idea how happy that makes me—how happy  _you_  make me, Chat Noir."

And just knowing that made Adrien feel like everything was right. So long as they had each other, everything would  _always_  be right.

They spent the rest of the night talking about nothing in particular. Adrien made a crack about how he loved stargazing in Paris, which made Ladybug laugh; there were no stars to look at.

"One day we're gonna take a trip out to the countryside," he told her, waving a gloved hand at the sky. "We're going to hike to the top of a mountain and camp out and just look at the stars."

"Wait until it gets warmer," Ladybug chuckled. "I get cold too easily to camp out in spring."

"I feel like there's a joke there somewhere about ladybugs and hibernation," Adrien laughed.

"Oh, shut up," Ladybug responded with a playful shove as she joined him in his laughter.

"We'll travel though," Adrien said. "We'll go in summer, at a time when the city is calm. Even if it's just for one night. I'll drive us down the long winding roads and we can roll the roof of the car down and breathe in the fresh air. You know, like one of those teenage romance movies where the kids run away and drive to the beach in a convertible."

Ladybug snorted. "You drive a convertible?"

"No," Adrien said. "But I'll get one just for the aesthetic."

Hearing his Lady's laugh was what made his life worth living.

He bid Ladybug a goodbye later that night when they'd both grown tired and watched her zip over the skyline, thankful he could send her home with a skip in her step and a smile on her face. It pained him to see her sad. He was glad that he could make the sadness go away, at least for a little while.

As Adrien laid in bed that evening with the recent memories of her touch and voice in his head, he swore he felt more in love than he ever had in his  _life._

* * *

"So, let me get this straight: you're moving in with Adrien now?"

Marinette glanced away from the screen of her laptop with an indecisive shrug. "...Yeeeess?" It was absolutely grating for her to tell a lie straight to her best friend's face—albeit it was over a computer screen—and she hated the gross feeling it gave her. "I know it's really sudden, but-"

"What happened to that Chad guy?" Alya asked, leaning back in the chair she sat on. "You know, the one you told me was from America. I thought you two were supposed to be roomies."

 _Shit_ , Marinette inwardly cursed, nibbling on her lower lip out of frustration. She'd forgotten she had told Alya she was moving in with a completely made-up guy. God, this whole situation was just one lie after another, wasn't it…

With a sigh that was heavy enough to blow scraps of paper off of her desk, Marinette admitted, "I… Made him up."

There was a pause. Looking up from the papers that had drifted to the floor, Marinette met her best friend's gaze, offering a pained expression that spoke more than words could provide.

Alya simply raised an eyebrow. "Why?" she asked, voice soft and full of question.

Marinette scrambled to think up an adequate answer because, no matter how badly she wanted to, she couldn't tell Alya the  _real_  reason she had fibbed. Chat Noir had an identity to keep as much as she did. If she went and told Alya that she was moving in with Chat Noir, well…

Well, there would be a hell of a lot more questions than just a simple "why."

"Because..." Marinette said. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "Because I… Adrien asked me to keep it on the down-low. He didn't want word to get out and for people to think we're anything more than friends."

Blowing a strand of curly hair out of her face, Alya crossed her arms under her breasts and frowned, the red of her lipstick smudging slightly from the movement of her mouth. "When did you two even decide this? I thought you guys hadn't spoken since Christmas. You were just crying about it last week."

"To be fair, I was drinking," Marinette muttered.

"That doesn't matter," Alya retorted. "You're too honest of a drunk-"

"-I wasn't  _drunk_ -"

"-and I don't see how you guys could just suddenly decide to start being all buddy-buddy again and take a huge step like moving in together when you barely know each other anymore."

That wasn't necessarily true. She and Adrien still  _knew_  each other.

Marinette's shoulders slumped and her head hung low. "I'm sorry, Alya. I know I should have told you, but there were reasons why I couldn't-"

"Do you think I'm mad at you or something?" Alya rested her head on her arms on the desk in front of her, hazel eyes glowing with worry for her friend as they gazed up into the camera. "Mari, don't get me wrong, I'm super excited for you and glad to see you're moving up in life and getting your own place. I just want to make sure you're happy and comfortable. If you want to move in with Adrien, by all means, do it! Just… Make sure it's the right thing for you, okay?"

A warmth spread inside Marinette's chest at Alya's words and she smiled, giving a single nod in affirmation. She was touched that Alya would worry so much about her happiness. It wasn't surprising; Alya had always been there for her since the day they'd first met each other in collége, and although she was overseas, her caring nature wouldn't diminish. Marinette's heart longed to see her best friend in person again and she wished now more than ever to give her a hug.

"You're so good to me, Alya," Marinette said, and her smile stretched so wide across her face that her cheeks hurt. "You're always looking after me. I really appreciate that."

"Well, I love you," Alya said. "And I'll  _always_  be looking out for you."

Marinette's laugh was full of gratitude. "Love you too, Alya."

They were quiet, simply smiling at each other for a few moments before Alya stood up, stretched, and cracked her back. Marinette cringed at the sound.

"Oh, gross," she said, and Alya stuck her tongue out in return.

"It's just my bones," Alya responded, mirth in her tone. "I've been sitting at this damn desk all day for work."

"Did you get that report in?" Marinette asked. "I know your boss has been bugging you for some new hot gossip to publish."

"Yes, thank god," Alya said, and she used her forearm to clear the clutter of her desk to the side. "Now I can relax and talk to my babe for the rest of the night."

Marinette smirked, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Nino?"

Alya snickered. "Not the boyfriend, my  _babe,_ " she replied, swiveling her chair around to sit on it backward and propping her arms on the backrest. "That's you."

Giggles spilled from Marinette's mouth as Alya pointed to her and winked, and she felt the tension she'd been holding in her muscles after Adrien had left the day before beginning to melt away. Talking to Alya was practically therapeutic these days. They only got time to video chat once or twice a week, and Marinette mourned the loss of being able to see her best friend's face daily. They texted as often as they could, but with Paris being nine hours ahead of California, it was hard to keep up.

"What time is it now?" Marinette asked, suddenly remembering the nine-hour difference. "Jesus, Alya, it's midnight where you are. Where the heck is Nino?"

Alya gave a show of waving off the late hour with her hand. "He's got a gig at a club tonight. I was gonna go but I didn't feel all that great earlier so I decided to stay away from the club scene and do some work instead."

Frowning at the mention of her friend feeling ill, Marinette said, "Oh, gosh. You okay?"

"Fine now." Alya shrugged. "It was weird, though. Earlier today I was like,  _super_  sick, throwing up and stuff, and Nino even offered to stay home, but I was like, 'no, go! You deserve this!' and right before he left I suddenly felt better. So… Whatever that was, it's gone now."

Marinette winced. "Oof. Maybe you ate something bad."

"Probably." Mindlessly picking at her nails, Alya shrugged it off. "So, tell me how you and Adrien came to this little agreement of yours. Did he just like, show up and ask you to be his roommate?"

With a laugh that sounded like a nervous seal, Marinette glanced away, hand cupping the underside of her elbow. "You could say that."

"You're fucking with me."

"I really wish I was."

"There's no  _way_  that dude just showed up at your doorstep and asked to move in with you!" Alya shouted, voice becoming high pitched; Marinette couldn't tell if she was laughing or seething with rage. "That's so… So hilariously rude! And unlike him."

"It was a bit more complicated than that," Marinette said. "He needed a roommate and so did I, and… We both figured it was better to move in with someone we're familiar with than a complete stranger."

She hated how easily the lie slipped from her tongue.

"Besides," Marinette continued, leaning back in her chair and stretching her arms above her head, "he's nice, and I like him as a person. He's tidy and polite and can even be really fun. We have a lot of the same interests. I know he and I haven't talked in awhile and I kind of just jumped into it but I really think this will be good for me. And for him."

Playing with her side braid, Marinette looked up to find Alya staring back at her with a knowing glint in her eyes. She was gazing at her like she  _knew_  something; as if she was privy to a secret that Marinette wasn't aware of. She adjusted her glasses, sat up straight and crossed her arms, one leg overlapping the other.

"'Nette," Alya said, voice still. "Girl, you  _do_ fall in love too easily."

Marinette choked on her own spit. Coughing and hacking, she hunched over her desk as her cheeks flushed red—whether it was from the coughing or her own embarrassment, she wasn't sure—her eyes nearly bulging out of her skull. "Wha- I- I do  _not-_ "

Alya bit her lower lip as she stifled a laugh. "You can't hide this shit from me! I know you too well."

"Fuck off-"

"You still love him," Alya said. "I can't believe it."

Marinette said nothing. Arms crossed and head hung low, she gave a pout so intense that it almost made the nerves in her face hurt. "Stoooooop," she whined, unable to suppress the corners of her mouth from curling upwards. "Quit making fun of me. I thought you loved me."

"Aw, Marinette," Alya cooed. "My little baby is growing up and living with a fine-ass gentleman who's gonna treat her  _right_."

"I'm ending this Skype call."

"Traitor."

"It's literally almost one in the morning for you, Alya," Marinette chuckled. "You need to sleep anyways. I can see how tired you are just by the look on your face."

Alya slouched, cheek pressed against her desk and glasses askew. "'M fine."

"Go to bed."

"Only if you promise to call me again in a few days," Alya said, voice raspy from exhaustion. "I miss you more than you know."

Pressing a hand to her chest to show she was touched, Marinette smiled, blowing a kiss to the camera. "I miss you too, silly. Now get some sleep. I'll text you later when it's  _morning_  where you are."

Alya sighed, a warm smile stretching across her face. "Okaaay," she said. "I submit. Goodnight, 'Nette. Let me know how things with Adrien are going as soon as you can."

Marinette gave a playful roll of her eyes. "I will, I promise. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, I love youuu-"

The call ended, and Marinette sighed. She slumped back into her chair with a smile. Alya was such a nice person to talk to.

She sat there for a few minutes, mind replaying their conversation on repeat. She let Alya's words dance through her head as she got up, folded her laundry, made brunch for her parents and relaxed in front of the TV. Even through a long day of work, Alya's voice sang, and what she had said earlier still wouldn't leave her head. It was like a mantra, endlessly reminding her of her one major fault: she fell too easily.

It was a good thing she wasn't really moving in with Adrien. If she had to be around him most days, sometimes for the entire day… She wouldn't know how to cope. She'd be head-over-heels in no time, and living in the same space as him—where he slept, ate, relaxed and showered—would have her freaking out around every corner. She'd be uncomfortably infatuated. It would be difficult for her to rest in her own apartment.

As she swept the floors of the fabric shop late that night, a thought stuck Marinette so sudden that she stumbled, tripping over her own feet and sending the broom to clatter loudly on the tile.

She was going to be living in the same space as Chat Noir. Chat Noir, her partner, her most entrusted friend; the boy who had turned her from a distraught mess into a beaming, confident superhero again the night before. In the span of one evening, he'd managed to flip her entire mood upside down—not only managing to make her smile but making sure she went home with that smile for the rest of the night, too.

Marinette wasn't at all familiar with the way her heart thumped in her chest.

She was going to be living with Chat Noir. They were going to share a  _home._  They'd be more than roommates, they would be together like best friends, like…

Huh. Like maybe a little more than that.

But she didn't let herself dwell on those thoughts for too long. Marinette had never loved Chat Noir in that regard, and she wasn't going to start now. He was her partner. They had to keep a professional relationship in order to keep Paris safe. That was what was most important.

Even if they both ever wanted different, they had a duty to the city first and foremost. Chat Noir needed to understand that. And… Maybe she did, too.

 _No, snap out of it,_  she told herself, smacking her cheeks to force herself back into focus.  _None of that._

"Marinette?" Tikki's voice peeped up from inside her jacket pocket. "You're very nervous. I can sense it."

"I'm fine, Tikki," Marinette said. She reached down to pick up the broom from the floor and was thankful everyone besides her had gone home for the night. "Just tired."

Tikki frowned, but accepted her answer anyways. "Well, try to get some rest tonight, okay?"

"I will," she promised. "I will."

She'd do her very best—even if thoughts of a green-eyed, blond-haired boy kept her awake.  _Who_ that boy was, however…

That— _that_  was a question for another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAH
> 
> LOVE IS A FUNNY THING, HUH
> 
>  
> 
> _HUH?_


	7. A Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette shares a dinner with Adrien and his father. However, things don't exactly go as planned...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this chapter was originally uh.... 11k  
> it was split in half into this chapter and the next one
> 
> this whole fic has spiraled OUT OF C O N T R O L 
> 
> (anyways, look out for another update within the next few days)
> 
> thanks again nick for being my beta !!!!!!

It was a little over a week since he'd visited that Adrien gave her a call.

Scrambling to pick up her phone, the ringtone loud and jarring, Marinette nearly dropped it on the sidewalk before answering with what she hoped was a calm and collected, "Hello?"

Adrien's voice was like a breath of fresh air in her ear. "Marinette! Hey, are you busy tonight?'" he asked, tone cheerful. He sounded excited, and from the staticky noise that came from the background, Marinette could only assume he was outside, much like herself. The wind was blowing leaves down the streets and the clouds rolling above were a dark gray; it was clear that within the next hour a heavy downpour would cover the city.

(So much for patrol later that night.)

Marinette shook her head as she walked down the sidewalk. After a beat of silence she realized her reply had to be vocalized—cell phones, duh—and squinted as a particularly forceful breeze blew strands of black hair into her face. "N-no, not busy. It's Friday, right?"

A noise of affirmation rose from her phone. Adrien laughed as he said, "Yep, it's Friday. I know it's really late notice, but my dad wants to meet you tonight if you're free. Would you be able to come over around, say… Seven o'clock for dinner?"

Seven? That was in four hours. It was a little last moment, but she could work with that.

"Sure, sounds good," Marinette replied. She held her phone between her shoulder and cheek as she forced her skirt down, which insisted on attempting to fly up with the wind. "Should I walk over, or—"

"I'll pick you up," Adrien told her. He said something else, but the wind in the background blocked out whatever words had fallen from his lips. When Marinette asked him to repeat himself, he said, "Wear something nice, if you can. Unfortunately, Father's the type that judges people on their looks."

Marinette frowned at that. She was pretty enough on her own without dressing up. Ah, well. There was no harm in putting on a little more makeup than usual and wearing one of her favorite dresses for a dinner with her favorite designer (and his handsome son.)

"Alright," she said as she entered the bakery through its glass doors, thankful to be indoors and away from the dreadful weather outside. "I'll be ready at seven, then."

An excited hum came from the other end of the line. Marinette had to repress her giggles.

"Great!" Adrien cheered. "I'll see you then, Marinette."

"You too."

As they ended the call, Marinette smiled down at her phone. Often in her youth, she would think of Adrien as many things: charming; attractive; a drop of sunshine with the kindest soul. However, one description from Alya back in lycée had stuck with Marinette for years, and each time she thought about it, laughter would bubble from her chest just from the memory alone.

Adrien was like a golden retriever, Alya had said. And lo and behold it remained accurate to this day.

True to the nickname, Adrien was an excitable person with a head of golden hair and a happiness about him that  _always_  made him eager to see his friends. When he did get the chance to meet up with them, he'd shower them with platonic affections, even bringing a gift or two if he had the time. And man, when he saw his friends heading his way, especially Nino… He'd run to greet them with arms outstretched for a hug so tight that Marinette was sure he'd suffocated a person or two in his lifetime from his affections.

She missed that part of their relationship. They were close, years ago… Practically best friends at one point—especially when Nino and Alya's relationship had become more serious. They'd spent their days as third and fourth wheels, eventually opting to spend time together with just themselves, bonding over video games or watching movies on her couch at home. She distinctly remembered how Adrien cowered at horror movies, and how he'd hid his face in her shoulder whenever a particularly scary part flashed onto the screen.

Her heart ached from how badly she yearned for their childhood closeness to return. What had happened? Why had she let them drift apart…?

"Miss?" a voice asked, tone curt. "If you wouldn't mind, you're holding up the line."

Flinching in surprise, Marinette turned to see a customer with his hands on his hips, eyebrow cocked impatiently. She blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she said, shooting an apologetic glance to her mother (who was ringing up another customer at the cash register.)

She had to stop getting distracted in the middle of rooms so often. Retreating upstairs to her bedroom, Marinette set the bag of fabrics she'd purchased before Adrien called on her chaise and plopped down next to them with a huff, legs aching from overuse. She'd been running around too much the past few weeks. It would be nice to finally settle down in her and Chat's apartment when things were situated.

Speaking of Chat Noir… They had a few more details to figure out, didn't they?

Marinette kicked her shoes off as she mentally crossed off the things they'd already covered for their future move-in. They had decided Chat would sign the lease to avoid identity-drama and that she would give him half of the rent each month in cash, as well as setting their personal boundaries. Masks were to be worn at all times, except when they went to their rooms for the night to sleep or during showers, and every week they would take turns with who covered the grocery shopping.

(Although Chat Noir  _had_  begged her for them to go together  _just once_  since he'd admitted—much to Marinette's surprise—that he'd never been grocery shopping once in his life. The rich little asshole.)

The subject of friends and family visiting had been discussed lightly over a late rooftop dinner during their last meeting. While she and her partner had snacked on sub sandwiches from a local deli, they'd decided that for friends to visit, they needed to give each other plenty of warning so the other could find a place to disappear to for a while. That, or they would stay in their rooms for the period of time the friends were over and pretend to be busy (or napping.)

They were set to check out the place in two days. Marinette would go as her civilian self first, and Chat Noir second to seal the deal.

The excitement caused Marinette's hands to tremble as she slipped off her long socks. This— _them_  moving in together—was really happening, and it was happening soon. Sooner than she had anticipated. Within weeks she would be moved out of her childhood home and into an apartment with her dearest friend, where they would share belongings, watch movies, and share meals. She'd even have Chat Noir tutor her for her science classes since he loved the subject so much.

Of course, they still had to figure out how they would decorate the place and set rules to keep the identities safe. But that was a subject for a later date.

"Are you meeting Adrien tonight, Marinette?" Tikki asked as she emerged from Marinette's purse, breaking her charge out of her reverie. The tiny god settled herself on a pillow as Marinette released her braid and began to brush out the wavy locks.

Nodding in response, Marinette smiled. "Mhm. He's picking me up at seven."

"That's good," Tikki said. "I bet his dad is going to love you."

Marinette played with the lace on her shirt. "I hope so."

"Don't worry!" Tikki said with an enthusiastic little hop. "He's going to adore you, Marinette. I just know it."

Standing from her chaise to check her appearance in her mirror, Marinette titled her head to the side at her reflection, chewing at her bottom lip in consideration. "I'm glad you think so, Tikki. If this plan with Adrien falls through I think both of us will be in a lot of trouble. I am a little nervous, too. I mean, I'll be  _officially_  meeting my idol, in his  _home_  of all places! We'll be having dinner and—although I have won some of his contests—I really hope he'll like me. I mean, I'm sure he will, and Adrien will be there just in case, but—"

"Don't worry yourself, Marinette," Tikki soothed. She flitted over to prop herself on Marinette's shoulder and began to smooth out a few loose strands in her dark tresses. "You're one of the most likable people in Paris. Besides, you're Ladybug, even without the mask. There's nothing you can't do. Who wouldn't like you? You're adorable!"

Laughing at Tikki's compliments, Marinette gave her a scratch under the chin, enjoying the way her tiny companion lifted her head up to the motion. "You flatter me, Tikki. Now," she said, making her way over to her closet to sift through her assortment of dresses, "I just need to find something to wear."

* * *

She'd decided to don one of the dresses she had crafted not too long ago.

It was a [pretty black dress](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hr1bHMM2I24/WBtQ7kf4abI/AAAAAAAAJ80/5jVxAXGE1Y46xfO-xv3nFnjveKLa2-4tACLcB/s1600/109da7e653530adeea5c340c2640013b.jpg) with a silky top that was adorned with black lace at the collar, and a skirt that was loose but comfortable, ending a few inches below her knee. Around her waist was a satin sash a few shades lighter than the dress itself. To the right side of her waist, violet flowers were placed pleasantly upon the sash, sewn together with care in every stitch. It was a design Marinette adored, and she recalled the process fondly. It had taken her weeks to complete, especially the flowers; those had been incredibly difficult to shape correctly due to the type of sheer fabric she'd used, but the pain of the production had been far worth it—the dress was one of her favorites to date. Even if it wasn't as complex as some others.

Once she was dressed, Marinette pulled her hair up into a bun, allowing a few loose strands to dangle in front of her ears. On her neck she wore a silver necklace lined with diamonds her grandmother had given her when she was very young, and for her footwear she pulled out her favorite pair of black ankle-strap heels from the back of her closet. She didn't wear them often—those were reserved only for special occasions, and tonight warranted their use.

She finished off the look with mascara and winged eyeliner, as well as a touch of red lipstick. Part of Marinette was sad she couldn't wear a pair of dangling earrings, but removing her Miraculous was something she'd never even dream of doing. No—those earrings stayed in place. They were too precious of an item to lose, much less to think of leaving them at home for a night.

"You look so beautiful, Marinette," Tikki sighed as she rested on her shoulder, gazing at her chosen's reflection fondly. "You've really grown up into a bedazzling lady."

Marinette giggled appreciatively. "Why thank you, Tikki. I think I look nice too."

"Good," Tikki replied. "You should. And you know what?" A teasing grin split Tikki's face as she said, "I think Adrien will, too."

Red flushed to Marinette's cheeks before she had a chance to stop it. She felt embarrassed to blush over a comment like that, especially when her intention for the night was only to seal a fake deal with Adrien and to impress his father. Really, her face had no business getting so hot at the thought of Adrien liking her appearance. She didn't need him to think she was pretty to feel good… She could do that well enough on her own!

(Still, her heart fluttered at the notion.)

Her phone vibrated as Adrien let her know he was outside. She wondered if the cat emojis he'd sent along with the message were truly necessary.

Taking a deep breath, Marinette allowed herself a moment to steady her nerves before she descended from her bedroom, heels quietly clicking against the wood of the stairs. Her parents were closing up the bakery for the night so she had no qualms walking down into the shop, stopping to give them each a hug—a light one, albeit, due to their clothes being covered in flour—before fanning her face in a final attempt to rid the apprehensive bubbles in her stomach.

She had told her parents about her "move-in" with Adrien the day before. They'd been overjoyed, happy to know that their daughter was going to be living with someone they knew and trusted rather than a complete stranger. Marinette felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for lying to them, but… She had to do what she had to to live with her partner.

As she walked out to where Adrien was waiting with an umbrella, she grinned at the compliments and praise towards her appearance her parents shouted out through the doors, hiding her face behind her black clutch as she approached her long-time friend.

Adrien was silent as he walked her to his car—at least, she assumed it was his—umbrella in one hand to shield them from the rain and green irides blown wide. Marinette smiled up at him, feeling a tad awkward under his gaze, and was thankful when he cleared his throat and glanced away with a tint of pink to his cheeks. Oh, he was so cute. His blush only added to that fact.

"Sorry," he apologized with a laugh. "You look really nice, Marinette. You're gorgeous—I mean—! That dress is gorgeous!" His eyes fell to the floor before he shoved a hand in his pocket. "Where did you get it? I don't recognize the brand."

Giving a little twirl, Marinette grinned with pride. "Actually, I made it myself a few months ago. You… You like it?" She twiddled with her fingers in a sort of nervous fashion, awaiting his answer. He looked quite handsome himself, done up with [black dress pants](https://images.express.com/is/image/expressfashion/0039_06101541_0098?cache=on&wid=361&fmt=jpeg&qlt=75,1&resmode=sharp2&op_usm=1,1,5,0&defaultImage=Photo-Coming-Soon) and a white long-sleeved shirt with a black vest buttoned over it, complete with matching belt and tie. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up, and Marinette had to avert her eyes from his arms before she gawked at the muscles that were hidden underneath his golden skin.

"It's beautiful," he said as he opened the car door for her. It was a black Maserati; a car Marinette would have never imagined touching, much less receiving a chance to ride within one. "You look really great."

"Thanks," she replied with a blush, slipping into the passenger seat. "Is this—" she paused to look at the interior in awe, "your car?"

Adrien shook his head as he sat behind the wheel, tapping the umbrella outside before closing it and tossing it in the backseat. "It's one of my dad's. I have a bike, but figured it was probably a bad idea to drive that tonight, since, you know… The rain."

"And the dress," Marinette added with a grin. "You drive a motorcycle? Why is that so weird for me to think about?"

As Adrien started up the car, he chuckled. "Probably because it's a super rebellious thing my dad hates."

"No shit, really?"

Adrien offered a shrug. Turning on the headlights and windshield wipers, he began to drive down the street, frowning as the rain really began to pour in buckets. "Yeah. I guess it was an impulse thing. He's really overprotective to the point where it's overbearing and didn't even want me driving myself anywhere, ever, so… It was sort of a birthday gift to myself. And an even bigger F-you to my dad."

A loud laugh broke itself free from Marinette's throat and she slapped a hand to her lips the moment the sound rose into the air, feeling everywhere from her shoulders to the tips of her ears redden in embarrassment from the noise she'd made. "Sorry," she said, voice wavering from her giggles, "that's just funny to think about. You went out and bought the most dangerous vehicle just to give him a metaphorical middle finger. It's hilarious."

"Yeah, well," Adrien said with a playful roll of his eyes, glancing down to look at the time once he'd reached a stoplight. "Père and I are always doing crazy stuff like that. It's like we're constantly trying to one-up each other or something."

Marinette's smile curved downwards. Well, that wasn't healthy. No wonder Adrien wanted to get out of his house. "Oh, I'm sorry," was all she could say.

"It's alright," Adrien said. He flashed her a smile as the car began moving again. "I'm getting out of there soon, thanks to you. He's gonna love you, though. Promise."

She hoped so. She really did hope so.

They pulled into the Agreste manor, Marinette watching with wide eyes as the large iron gate opened and closed with their presence. Adrien parked in the garage so they wouldn't get wet, which Marinette was thankful for, even as he insisted on being a gentleman by getting out to open the door for her. She felt her heart skip a beat as he helped her step out of the car with a gentle grasp of her hand.

His skin was warm. Marinette mourned the lost contact the moment he let go.

"I'm a little nervous," she admitted as they entered the foyer. Her heels clicked against the marble flooring with each trembling step, her head swiveling around to take in the sheer  _size_  of Adrien's home. "I hope I don't screw anything up. I'm sorry in advance if I say something silly."

That sad portrait of a teenaged Adrien and his father was still hanging above the staircase.

The dimples on Adrien's cheeks showed as he smiled down at her. He was so tall now, practically a whole thirty centimeters above her without the heels. Running a hand through his hair, he told her, "You'll be fine, Mari. I have complete faith in you."

Her cheeks flushed once more. She gazed up at him through her lashes with the intent of saying something of the same nature, but her track of speech was interrupted by his father's assistant.

"Adrien," the woman—Nathalie, was it?—said, tired-looking eyes trained on the tablet in her perfectly manicured hands. "Your father is ready for you and Mme. Dupain-Cheng. He hasn't been waiting long."

Marinette cupped a hand to her elbow. Jeez, why was everyone so formal? Was  _she_  supposed to be acting that way?

Adrien patted Marinette on the back in an act of reassurance as he nodded at the woman. "Thanks, Nathalie. We'll be right there."

Once Nathalie left the room, Adrien placed both of his hands on Marinette's shoulders, green gaze blinking down at her with pure appreciation. He squeezed her skin gently with one hand and  _winked_  at her, and that was all it took for Marinette to feel like a school-aged girl again with a crush on one of her best friends. She gulped, looking up at him with her teeth anxiously nibbling on her lower lip before remembering that she was wearing lipstick and foregoing her ministrations.

"Remember the plan?" Adrien asked.

Marinette wasn't sure she could remember anything with him looking at her like  _that_.

"Uh," she said, eyes falling towards the floor. "Convince your dad we're really moving in together and that we're just friends so he won't get suspicious."

Adrien's expression turned proud. Bowing towards her with one hand outstretched, he grinned, shooting her a wink for good measure. "After you, your majesty."

The girlish giggle that escaped from her mouth was almost disconcerting.

The dining room was bigger than Marinette had remembered. She'd only been in it a few choice times, like Christmas dinner years ago when she was merely fourteen, and another instance where she, along with Alya and Nino, had secretly stayed the night and ventured down to the kitchen in the middle of the night for snacks—only to be disappointed when all Adrien had to offer was veggie plates and organic cheeses, other than the store of Camembert he hid away in his room.

She still didn't understand that.

As Marinette's gaze landed on Gabriel's, her shoulders stiffened, back straightening out of impulse to appear as proper as she could. Her fingers gripped at her clutch, the pads of her skin leaving indents in the leather. Adrien's arm brushed against her back as he came up from behind her and Marinette nearly jumped out of her own skin. Goodness, if she went the whole night feeling this on edge she'd be sweating herself out of her dress in no time!

"Relax," Adrien whispered into her ear. He placed his hands on her shoulders to give them a gentle push down. "You're standing like a beanpole. Don't worry so much—you'll do just fine."

His reassuring smile was all she needed to will her muscles to lose their stiffness.

Adrien pulled out a chair for her at the long mahogany table. Marinette took his offer to sit gladly, smoothing out the wrinkles in the skirt of her dress once she was comfortable.

"Father, this is Marinette," Adrien began, sitting next to her with a kind grin. "I'm sure you recognize her."

After taking a sip of his wine and regarding her with an unwavering stare, Gabriel nodded. "Of course. It's nice to formally meet you, Mme. Dupain-Cheng."

"Nice—" Marinette cleared her throat, doing her best not to flush at how high-pitched her voice had sounded. God, her nerves were skyrocketing. She feared that the silverware would jump right out of her hands from how much they were shaking. "N-nice to meet you too, M. Agreste. I'm a big fan of your work."

Gabriel didn't smile at that. Instead, he nodded. "Yes, my work does inspire many a fan. I'm glad to hear that."

Adrien's expression turned flat. Marinette almost laughed at how quickly his face had soured.

When one of their personal chefs came to ask for their dinner request, Gabriel ordered a chicken dish for them all. Marinette didn't mind; the arrange of poultry and vegetables sounded great. Anything that would ease the quiet rumbling of her stomach would do wonders for both her hunger and her nerves.

The conversation was awkward as they waited for the food to arrive. Marinette's hands were trembling so fiercely under the table that Adrien enveloped them with one of his own, giving her knuckles a delicate squeeze that sent a surge of warmth to rush through her veins.

"So," Gabriel said, effectively breaking the silence. "Let's just get straight to the point: you two are moving in together."

Marinette almost choked on her own spit. Her leg began to jiggle on the floor. Dang, no small-talk, no polite inquiries, just immediately to what she'd come over for. Gabriel certainly wasn't a man who stalled.

Adrien nodded with an affirming sound. "Yes, Père. We're really looking forward to it. Right, Mari?"

Baffled by the way Adrien lied with such ease, Marinette breathed out slowly, attempting to calm herself before she became overworked with anxieties. Fuck, this was worse than a final exam. She felt like she was at a job interview to be deemed as a reasonable friend of his son.

Swallowing around the brittle lump in her throat, Marinette grinned perhaps a tad too wide to be realistic, mimicking Adrien's nod a bit more forcefully. She relaxed slightly when Adrien squeezed her hands again. "Oh, yes! We've been talking about it for weeks—months—a-and are so- so excited to finally be able to move out of our homes, haha..."

"I see." Taking a long sip of his wine, Gabriel placed the glass back on the table with a soft clink. "So, you've been thinking about this for months, then?"

Adrien gave a forced smile. "O-of course! It's been on our mind for the longest time, and we finally decided that you know, we're ready to make it official…"

Gabriel's expression hadn't changed all night, except for the brief cock of his brow. "Roommates, hm?  _That_ is what you're ready to make official?"

He wasn't buying it. Marinette instantly picked that up. Although the man was as stoic as a block of stone, the vibe he was giving off was intense suspicion, and Marinette felt like if he didn't let up soon, she was going to break.

"Are you sure you two aren't…" The older man paused as he rolled the wine in his glass, watching the red liquid swish around in the bowl. "...More than just roommates? If you are, there's no reason to hide it. Unless you're afraid I may disapprove, in which I'd only disapprove if you're actively trying to hide it from me." He adjusted his glasses once more, eyes like ice as he gazed into Marinette's fucking  _soul._  "I don't have a reason to disapprove of your relationship, do I?"

That was it.

"Adrien!" Marinette exclaimed, scooting out her chair so forcefully that it screeched as she almost toppled backwards. "I have to go to the bathroom can you please show me where it is rightnow _thanks!"_

He didn't have a chance to reply before she grabbed his arm and hauled him out of the dining room.

"Marinette!" Adrien hissed in a whisper, stumbling over his own feet as she pulled him into the foyer and down a dimly lit hallway. "Where are you going?"

Halting in front of a door to what she assumed was to a bathroom, Marinette released his arm and pressed her palms against her head, two seconds away from a Mental Breakdown™. "He thinks we're dating!" she wheezed, pulling at the loose strands of hair that hung in front of her ears. "He totally thinks we're dating. He knows this is a ploy. Are we fucked? I feel like we're fucked."

"Woah, woah," Adrien said, eyes blown wide as he held up his hands in an attempt to calm her nerves. "It's alright, Marinette. We'll figure something out."

"Is he one of those weirdly protective parents that disapproves of people living together before marriage?" Marinette asked, feeling a wave of panic washing over her. Their plan was going to  _fail!_  "Is he going to make us get married? Because I don't know if I'm ready for that type of commitment-"

"No! No," Adrien croaked, shoulders hunching as he averted her gaze. "No marriage. But… It's taken a lot of convincing to get him to think we're just friends, and I still don't think he believes me. He's starting to get suspicious. If he knows we're lying, I..." He dragged his hands down his face, musing his hair completely, voice quiet as his expression morphed into one of utter  _defeat._  "I don't know. This was a dumb idea in the first place. I'm so sorry I dragged you into this, I... Do you want me to take you home?"

Marinette frowned at the way his back slumped self-consciously, her heart wrenching at the thought of leaving him there to figure the situation out by himself. "Adrien, no, it's okay. We can still do this. We just need a better plan."

What that plan was, well… Marinette had no idea. Whatever they were going to do, they had to do it fast—they couldn't stay in the "bathroom" all night, after all.

Hand reaching back at his nape, Adrien met her eyes with a somewhat pained knit of his brow. Marinette wanted to reach out and hug him and let him know that everything was going to be just fine. They could pull through this. She wasn't the type to give up so easily.

With an awkward shuffling of his feet, Adrien glanced back at the hallway. No doubt his father was wondering where they'd run off to. If they were gone any longer he might assume they'd just up and left, which would soil their plan completely, but Marinette wouldn't allow that. Both she and Adrien were on a mission and she wasn't leaving until they'd accomplished it.

Adrien was silent for a while. As he scratched at his neck in thought, Marinette opened her mouth to speak, to say  _anything_ —but her words were cut short when her friend's eyes brightened, lips parted as an idea visibly struck his mind.

Clearing his throat, Adrien stood up straight, one hand messing with the knot on his tie. "So, he thinks we're dating, right?" he asked, causing Marinette to cock her head to the side. "Okay, this is going to sound weird, but hear me out: what if we  _were?"_

Marinette broke into a coughing fit.

Air refused to pass to her lungs, getting caught somewhere in her throat. Adrien's expression morphed to one of panic and he gave a couple taps to her back, attempting to help her clear her airway of whatever was blocking it, his voice ringing in her ears as he asked over and over again whether or not she was okay.

She had died, but that was beside the point.

"Adrien—" she rasped, finally having composed herself. "I'm flattered, really, but shouldn't we hang out a little more before we decide to take a step like that? I-I mean, not that I'd be  _opposed_ to dating you, but-"

"I didn't finish," Adrien said, rubbing slow circles on her back as she regulated her breathing. "Not for real dating, just like… Pretend. To convince my dad that he can trust us to move in together. If he thinks we're lying about our relationship, then he won't trust that we're actually living together. He'll think we're hiding something from him."

"But we  _would_  be lying about our relationship!" Marinette exclaimed, cupping a hand over her mouth at how her voice echoed in the hallway. "I don't know, Adrien. I hate to lie more than I already am, and this whole thing is kind of turning into a huge mess."

She knew from the start that it was going to be messy, but… It was all sort of spiraling out of control at this point.

Weighing the pros and cons of having a fake relationship with Adrien in her head, Marinette gnawed at her bottom lip, foot tapping on the ground as her mind reeled with information. On one hand, pretending to be dating Adrien would make the situation with his father blow over easily, and possibly even get him to trust her more than he would as just Adrien's friend. She would be able to spend more time with Adrien if they had to pretend to be dating, which was a plus. It would give them an excuse to get to know themselves again after their five-month absence from each other's life.

However…

If she and Adrien were "in a relationship," telling her friends and family out of nowhere would make them go  _nuts._  Especially Alya. Alya of all people knew that she and Adrien were nothing more than friends, so the ruse wouldn't trick her in the slightest. Her parents, on the other hand, would be saddened to hear that she had been hiding a secret "boyfriend" for a while without ever mentioning him, and was suddenly moving in with him without so much as a mention of her relationship.

But… Who said they had to lie to anyone other than Gabriel? Alya would understand if she told her the truth. All of their friends knew Gabe was a complete asshat. And she didn't even need to mention the whole relationship thing to her Maman or Papa; they were happy just knowing their daughter was moving in with a friend they could trust.

"Actually…" Marinette said after a moment, eyes rising from the floor to meet the irides of her friend. "You know what? That might just work."

As Adrien bit into his knuckle in consideration, the sneaky grin that split his face was one Marinette found eerily familiar. "Alright," he said before he let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "Alright. Let's do this. Here." Grabbing her hand, Adrien smiled, white teeth shining in the low light of the hallway. "Let's walk back like this, okay? We've been gone for a while, so we'd better head back before dad has an aneurysm."

"It's been six minutes," Marinette laughed as they walked back into the foyer. She tried to ignore the way her heart was beating a tattoo into her chest from how hard it thumped against it. "So, um, what do we say?"

Adrien leaned in to whisper in her ear once they'd made it to the dining room. "Just follow my lead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those who didn't click the hyperlinks for the outfit references, heeere they are:
> 
> [mari's dress](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hr1bHMM2I24/WBtQ7kf4abI/AAAAAAAAJ80/5jVxAXGE1Y46xfO-xv3nFnjveKLa2-4tACLcB/s1600/109da7e653530adeea5c340c2640013b.jpg) & [adrien's outfit](https://images.express.com/is/image/expressfashion/0039_06101541_0098?cache=on&wid=361&fmt=jpeg&qlt=75,1&resmode=sharp2&op_usm=1,1,5,0&defaultImage=Photo-Coming-Soon)


	8. A Long Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette spend time together after dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhhhokay  
> added 3k+ words to this the other night so have a nearly 8k chapter that was supposed to be 5k  
> good nite
> 
> (happy thangsgibing)

Adrien had told her to simply follow his lead.

Easy, Marinette thought, just follow Adrien's lead when he told Gabriel Agreste, his  _father,_  that they were very much dating and in love and moving in together like it was the most trivial thing she had ever done. Sure, she would happily let Adrien take the reins of the conversation and lead her through the mess that had become of her life. That was fine! She would be just fine, lying to his father—her  _idol!_

(How could she do that without having a complex, though?)

She stayed quiet. Sitting next to Adrien as they returned to the table was a chore itself, as her legs refused to sit still and her fingers twitched against the skirt of her dress, no doubt wrinkling the soft material beyond redeemable measures. There had to be an iron  _somewhere_ , but she couldn't focus on her outfit at the moment. It was go-time—the fated moment to convince Adrien's stick-up-the-butt of a father that he could trust them to live together, and that she wasn't a homicidal murderer that had intents to drag Adrien down a cellar and wear his skin.

(That was a terrible image for her mind to supply while she was about to eat dinner.)

"Sorry we were gone so long," Adrien apologized. He picked up his knife and fork as he saw that their dinner had been served in their absence. "I lost one of my contacts and couldn't find it."

That was a clever lie. Adrien was too good at this. She barely remembered that he wore contacts.

"Well, I hope you located it," Gabriel replied without glancing up from his plate.

Adrien nodded. "Yep. All good now." Taking a bite of asparagus, he continued after he'd swallowed his mouthful. "So, Père, I know you've asked me a lot whether or not I'm seeing anyone and I've always avoided the subject. I wanted to bring something up since you'd, um, asked if Marinette and I were dating and well…" He shot her a glance just to confirm that she was  _really_ okay with where this was going before finishing his statement, "We weren't sure how to tell you at first, but the truth is—"

"—we are," Marinette completed for him. It was grating to lie so simply. She grabbed his hand for good measure, cheeks reddening at the way Adrien's thumb brushed across her knuckles. Her mind went blank after that, which was fantastic, because she'd been preparing to say more.

 _Thanks, Adrien, for your commitment to the ugly little lie baby we've conjured up together,_  she thought bitterly. _It's despicable._

Kicking herself, Marinette straightened her shoulders as she mentally reminded herself that lying was a necessity, just for the night. (No matter how much she detested the thought of doing so.)

Gabriel made no haste in answering. He chewed his food slowly, considering his words for an entire  _two minutes_  before he offered a response. Marinette and Adrien shared a look, and Adrien gave a discreet roll of his eyes. Oh, the drama in this house was a bit too much to bear.

The only word that escaped from Gabriel's cold lips was, "Oh."

Adrien took in a breath with a determined expression, waiting until his father met his eyes to say something. "I'm sorry for lying. I just wasn't sure how you'd take to the news of me moving in with a girlfriend."

Hehe.  _Girlfriend._

"Lies build distrust, Adrien," Gabriel sniffed. He cut into his chicken with a distasteful frown. "And distrust is something I don't want to feel towards you."

Marinette instinctively narrowed her eyes as she chewed on her food. Didn't he already, though?

She sipped the glass of wine that had been poured for her to keep herself quiet. It was almost as bitter as the tension in the room.

"There was no reason to hide that information from me," his father continued, leaning back into his chair and pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. Marinette could see the exhaustion in his eyes, and the bags underneath them were almost the same shade as her dress. "Actually, the fact that you kept it secret is what's more aggravating than the thought of you up and leaving so suddenly. I'm not sure what's gotten into you."

Yeesh. Never had Marinette felt more awkward in her life than she did in that moment. Witnessing Adrien, a twenty-one-year-old capable adult, being scolded by his father was probably more embarrassing for him than it was for herself, but she still felt the desire to slink away and hide under the table.

Adrien's gaze fell downcast. He poked at his food with his fork, and Marinette didn't miss the way his brow furrowed in annoyance. "I'm sorry, father, really. I just wasn't sure how to bring it up. We never really get time to talk much anymore."

"Nevermind," Gabriel said, dismissing the subject. Perhaps he noticed how uncomfortable Marinette was feeling and decided the situation was best dealt with at a later date. "Where are you two going to live? Somewhere safe, I hope. I won't have my son staying in a dangerous part of the city."

The dude could learn to lay off a little in Marinette's opinion. Sure, he was looking out for his kid and all, but… Adrien was an adult. He could take care of himself.

Deciding it was her turn to speak, Marinette said, "A nice little place about twelve minutes away. It's in a good part of town and has a beautiful view. It's small but cozy. Comfortable."

She blinked in question as Adrien gaped at her. What, had she read his mind? She was only describing her and Chat Noir's place since it wasn't  _technically_ a lie. That's where she was going, anyway.

Gabriel hummed in response. "And you both are happy with this decision?"

As a show of affection to convince his father further, Adrien squeezed Marinette's hand, giving her his best "I'm totally smitten with you" smile. The one she offered in return was much less of a fake.

"Yeah," he said. "We're happy."

"Then that's all that matters," his father said. "I'm glad to hear you're happy with what you've decided."

Well… That was surprising. The whole conversation itself had been surprising. Nerve-wracking, anxiety-inducing, sure—but ultimately  _surprising._

Their plan worked. Their plan had  _worked!_  Marinette wanted to cheer out loud and pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

The smile Adrien directed at her was blinding, and the sparkle in his eyes made her feel like she was dancing on clouds. It all felt so… Surreal. Part of her couldn't believe this was really happening.

(She still couldn't come to terms with the fact that she and Adrien were, in fact, now in a pretend relationship that his father was convinced was very much real.)

There was a beat of silence before Gabriel spoke up again. "What do you do for a living, Mme. Dupain-Cheng?"

The question caught her off-guard, but she straightened herself and prepared a response. What was with the formalities, though? Would it kill the guy to call her by her first name?

"Well," Marinette began, crossing her legs underneath the table. "I-I'm uh- I'm a designer. It's my passion; has been as long as I can remember. I dream to have my own fashion line someday."

"She's really great," Adrien cut in before his father had a chance to respond. "It's amazing what she can do. She's one of the best I know, really. She even made that dress she's wearing."

Oof. It certainly felt weird to have Adrien praising her in front of his dad. She didn't want him fishing for compliments for her, although she appreciated the enthusiasm. He was only trying to help. Still, her cheeks flushed, and as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear to busy herself, Adrien beamed at her.

"Oh, well yes," she said, trying to brush it off so she wouldn't seem conceited about her work. "I did, but-"

Gabriel adjusted his glasses and placed his hand on his chin in thought. "Would you mind standing up?"

Marinette's eyes widened, but she complied anyway. The chair groaned as she scooted it across the floor. "Oh, um. Yes, of course!"

Gabriel's eyes roamed the dress, taking in its design. While Marinette was a little uncomfortable with her friend's father staring her up and down, the idea of her fashion idol admiring her work made her want to scream and swing from the chandelier in a sort of excitement that caused her to feel like she either wanted to cry from joy or throw up all over the pristine dining room.

(She'd avoid doing the latter to the best of her ability.)

"Exquisite," Gabriel said, voice soft. "That's a beautiful design, Marinette. Do you have any other examples of your work with you? Like a sketchbook?"

Fuck, she really should have thought to bring her sketchbook. Marinette shook her head as she sat back down. Her hands trembled so fiercely that she feared her fingers would fall right off her body. "Oh, well, I…"

"Don't you have an online boutique, Marinette?" Adrien supplied.

"Sort of," Marinette said. She shrugged, unsure of how to feel from his constant encouragement. "It's more of an online shop, really. B-but it's a nice hobby to do on the side."

Once their stomachs were full and plates cleaned, Gabriel dabbed at his face with a napkin and sat up, clasping his hands together on the table. "Could I see some photos, if you have any?"

Squeaking in surprise and astounded that her  _idol in fashion_  had just asked to see photos of her work, Marinette nodded furiously, pulling her phone out from her clutch and opening her gallery. She had a folder dedicated to pictures of her finished works and sketches, so she eagerly handed over her cellphone, watching with bated breath as Gabriel— _Gabriel Agreste—_ swiped through her camera roll.

"Where do you work now, Marinette?" Gabriel asked. His eyes were still trained on the device in his hands.

Cheeks reddening and voice faint, Marinette said, " _Beaux Textiles_ , a little fabric shop just down the street from here."

"I thought I saw you in there the other day!" Adrien gasped, grin widening three times its size. "I could have sworn that was you in the window, but I wasn't sure enough to say hi. Aw, man, I wish I had gone in now."

Marinette giggled at his excitement. He was like Alya had said: a golden retriever.

"I figured you would know where your girlfriend is employed at, Adrien," Gabriel said, still looking through the photos. The upper right corner of his mouth quirked—was he  _smiling?_  "Marinette, I don't think you should continue to work in a fabric shop. It's not the right place for you."

Both her and Adrien's heads whipped around to  _stare_  at Gabriel. Adrien's expression morphed into a glare as Marinette's heart sank to the very bottom of her shoes. She couldn't help the way her chest flared up in anger, and she had to take a moment to calm down and stop herself from crossly telling Adrien's father how  _wrong_  he was.

Her idol didn't think she deserved to work in a fabric shop? Her designs weren't that bad! Some of them were quite stunning, if she said so herself!

Adrien was quick to rise to her defense. "Father, what the hell-"

"You didn't let me finish," Gabriel interrupted. He pushed his glasses up his nose to adjust them before returning Marinette's phone to her shaking hands, his icy gaze stilling on her own eyes, which threatened to water if he continued to insult her work. Not from sadness, however, but anger. She had always been an angry crier.

Just as she was about to speak her mind (and probably ruin the whole night completely), Adrien pressed a hand to her bicep, looking at her with a silent apology for his father's crass behavior.

"Marinette," Gabriel said, voice calm; collected. "I don't want to see you working in a tiny shop on the corner anymore. Selling fabric while designing as a hobby will get you nowhere. You have talent, it's obvious. I don't want to see someone like you wasting it. If you'd be willing, I'd love to have you working for me, instead."

Marinette's jaw dropped.

_What. WHAT?_

"Wh-" It took a moment for her voice to return to her body from wherever it had fled. "Wh-what? You're—you're serious? You want me to work for  _you?_ "

No interview? No grueling application process that left her in tears from frustration? No internship, no- no  _nothing?_  He was going to offer her a job, just like that. That was unheard of!

"Your skills would be of great use at  _Gabriel,_ " he told her. "Of course, I wouldn't be able to offer you your own office, but there is a place for you. I imagine you'll go far if you take this opportunity."

Adrien was shaking her arm with excitement. The movement was beginning to make her feel queasy.

Placing a hand over Adrien's to cease his movements, she nodded, feeling breathless as she answered, "Yes. Yes, of course! I- I don't even know what to say, I—" she paused to gulp in a breath of air, "I… Thank you. This is a dream come true."

Were there tears in her eyes? From how shaky her voice felt she wouldn't be surprised.

Gabriel grinned, and that was the first and only time Marinette had ever seen the man truly smile. "Great," he said. "Can you start in two weeks?"

* * *

 "I can't believe that happened!" Marinette squealed, practically skipping down the sidewalk in her heels. "Your dad just offered me a job. Am I dreaming? I feel like I'm going to faint. Will you catch me if I faint? Oh, jeez." She slumped backward into Adrien's arms, who let out a warm laugh at his friend's antics when he caught her.

"To be honest, I didn't expect that to go so well," he said. He lifted her back up to her feet. "So now not only are we friends, fake boyfriend and girlfriend, but also coworkers."

The rain had stopped long ago, leaving the city in a damp glow with puddles lining the streets and droplets of water splashing onto the sidewalk from awnings of cafés and buildings. It was dark, but the yellow lights illuminated their path just enough for them to walk peacefully as Adrien lead her home.

Marinette hopped over a puddle in the middle of the walkway, glancing back at her friend with a grin. "I didn't think he'd buy it. The whole fake dating thing worked wonders on him."

"He really likes you," Adrien said, walking at her side. "I mean, like… He really does. I think he's happy that we're together. Figuratively, at least."

Hearing Adrien say that they were  _together_  caused a shiver to run up her spine. Even if it was for pretend… It was still nice for the words to come from his mouth.

Dinner had lasted longer than she had expected. After their plates had been taken away and Marinette happily accepted her new position at  _Gabriel,_ the conversation had dulled until Adrien's father excused himself for the night. She and Adrien had stayed at the table, however, laughing and reminiscing about the things they used to do in their past and how much  _fun_  they would have as a group. Perhaps the both of them had downed a little too much wine, but it was nice to spend more time with him nonetheless—even if the evening had dragged on into the late hours of the night.

Kicking a stray pebble down the sidewalk, Marinette smiled, allowing their exchange to fade into a comfortable quietude. Adrien walked beside her with his hands in his pockets, so there was no accidental finger brushing like she was used to seeing in romance movies, which was a shame; that would have been adorably romantic.

A car rolled down the street beside them. Marinette stood to the side as it splashed through a puddle, thankful that she had jumped out of the way before her dress had been soaked. Her shoulder bumped into Adrien's, who grinned at her when she met his softening gaze. With his hair a mess (since he had such a bad habit of running his fingers through it when he was nervous) and his summer green eyes reflecting the lights of the city into her own, he looked ethereal—almost like a drop of sunlight that had graced Earth with its presence in the form of one gorgeous, kind-hearted boy.

She wondered if it would be silly to mention that she'd harbored a crush on him back in lycée.

"I had fun tonight," she said instead, placing a hand on her arm. "Really. Even though it was stressful, it was nice. I-" Her gaze fell to the damp sidewalk as a sudden self-conscious feeling washed over her. "I… Missed spending time with you."

Was that weird to admit? She felt slightly embarrassed by letting the words slip, but…

"Me too, Marinette," Adrien replied, head cocking to the side as if he was trying to catch her eyes. And oh, how badly she wanted to look at him and tell him that perhaps she still hadn't quite gotten over that age-old crush.

Cheeks heating, she laughed, unsure of the reason for her giggles but happy all the same. They were at least another ten minutes from the bakery, and Marinette couldn't help but wish they had more time to spend together. She had missed Adrien's presence so much. And, from the looks of it, he had missed hers as well.

"Hey," Marinette said after a moment, pausing under a streetlamp that illuminated her skin in a faint orange glow. "Remember last Christmas?"

Adrien broke into a string of guffaws. Hand pressed to his stomach, he leaned over, grabbing hold of the wet pole of the streetlamp to keep himself upright. "Oh, man," he breathed after a moment, having come down from his high of laughter. "I'm sorry. You mentioned Christmas and all I could think about was how completely wasted we both were and how you seriously wanted to eat an entire  _ham_ —"

Marinette's face flushed as she grinned, sheepish but relishing in the hilarious memory. "I thought we agreed to never bring that up again!"

"You were so determined!" Adrien shot back, mirth in his tone. "You really wanted to bring that thing home with you."

"It was good, okay? Besides," she snorted. "That was no better than you trying to 'permanently borrow', or  _steal_ , Alya's cat."

It was with a feeling of victory that Marinette noticed Adrien was red-faced himself. "M. Wrinkles was so cute, though… How can you blame me?"

"Theft is  _wrong,_  Adrien!" she cackled. Oh, those memories would unfortunately never escape her—especially not the way Adrien had cried when Alya had taken her cat back from his sneaky clutches. He was quite the emotional drunk, that was for sure.

(Marinette was the affectionate type herself.)

"We had fun, though," he said after a moment, his smile reaching his eyes, dimples on his cheeks prominent and fingers still loosely wrapped around the lamppost. The fact that he'd used "had" instead of present tense made Marinette wilt on the inside. Her heart felt heavier than it had all night.

Unable to suppress the frown that curved her lips downwards, Marinette sighed, gaze retreating to the restaurant across the street where a band played a slow song. The sound was muffled due to the music wafting through closed doors, as the musicians were inside (most likely because it had rained.) Though the jubilation from their laughter had subsided, Marinette still found herself feeling glad that they had been able to act just as they had months ago; as if time had stopped and they  _hadn't_  spent five months apart with less than a measly phone call in between.

Adrien must have noticed her sudden change in mood. His voice was soft, curious as he asked, "What's wrong, Marinette?"

She could only offer a shrug. What could she say, that she was upset they hadn't spoken for five months? It was her fault as much as it was his. They'd both just been too busy after lycée, too preoccupied with life… She had never found time to call him. They hung out less after graduation. They didn't text as much and, eventually, over a year-and-a-half span they'd drifted until they went a whole five months without speaking so much as once. That was just how life was. People drifted. People… People changed.

But Adrien was still the same old golden retriever. Bright, selfless and absolutely  _wonderful_  in every conceivable way.

Marinette felt her heart swell with affection, though the feeling was tainted with her lingering sadness. She wondered what life would be like if they hadn't drifted. Maybe—maybe them moving in together wouldn't be a lie, at that point.

"I don't know," she said quietly, finding the courage to meet his eyes. "I'm just sad we didn't keep in touch. We were such great friends, you know? And then we graduated and everything changed. We were busy, Alya and Nino moved away, and then we just… Stopped seeing each other, until now. Why did we let that happen?"

Adrien reached behind his neck to scratch at the hairs on his nape. Looking away, his smile fell, shoulders slumping forlornly. "Why  _did_  we let that happen…?"

"I wish we hadn't," Marinette admitted.

"Me too."

After about forty seconds of uncomfortable silence, Adrien's posture straightened and his head turned to the restaurant across the street. The music had increased in volume. No longer was the sound of romance drifting into the streets, but something upbeat and happy—a tune that made Marinette want to twirl and dance and  _laugh_  and- and-

And have her hand in Chat Noir's again as he led her in a waltz along the rooftop like he had a little over a week ago.

It was with a startling realization that Marinette noticed the restaurant they were standing across the street from was the same one she and Chat had been perched upon that night. While the music was different, the atmosphere was the same: warm, pleasing sounds, the wonderful aroma of something delicious cooking, and the bright flash of the neon sign still so perfectly placed on the roof.

Marinette smiled.

"Hey," she said, voice softer than she had imagined it would be. Kicking off her heels, she shuddered momentarily as her bare feet connected with a puddle, hand outstretched in an offering to her friend of seven years (minus five months.) "Want to dance, fake boyfriend?'

Adrien's lips parted ever so slightly as he took in a breath. With a crack of a grin, he nodded, enveloping her hand within his own larger one. "I'd be honored, fake girlfriend."

His response was a tad delayed, but Marinette didn't mind; instead, she smiled and pulled him across the street, heels be damned. The road was slick and felt coarse underneath her skin, but it was worth it. The notion had immediately perked them both up back to their previous state of glee.

With memories of Chat Noir swimming in her brain, she placed Adrien's hand on her waist, allowing him to hold hers in his other. Her fingers lightly curled on the fabric of his shirt as they swayed to the rhythm, and she laughedas Adrien spun her, feeling a rush of  _something_  flow through her when he lowered her for a dip.

Everything felt wonderful and fast and hot and so, so  _wonderful._

"You're a good dancer," he told her as he righted her stance, eyes widening with amusement as she accidentally stepped on his toe. "Well, except for that."

Marinette playfully swatted him on the shoulder. "Fuck off. I'm trying."

"Hey, hey," he said, pausing their movements to tut a finger at her. The corners of his mouth twitched. "Watch your language, Marinette. I won't be dating someone with such a foul vocabulary."

Smirking, Marinette breathed in in preparation to tell him to go fuck himself in the most loving form she could muster but decided to lay off the sailor's tongue for a bit more of a polite response. "Yeah, well," she said, giving his nose a gentle flick. "We're not really dating, so I can say whatever I want."

It was then she realized how little proximity there was left between their faces, and how  _nice_  Adrien's hands felt when both of them were placed on her waist.

"Okay, bossy," Adrien responded, amusement sparkling in his gaze. "Whatever you say."

The music had stopped.

They stood like that for quite some time. It was an odd sensation, to be held by Adrien like that. They weren't exactly wrapped up in each other's arms, per se, but his face was definitely too close to her own to be friendly, and the way his thumb was slowly rubbing circles into the fabric of her dress wasn't the most platonic thing she'd witnessed that night.

Well. This was new.

Deciding she felt awkward about their closeness, Marinette blushed, taking an apprehensive step backward. Her bare foot came in contact with a puddle. The chill she felt was startling; out of nowhere, her heart was racing frantically, her eyes blown wide and fingers fidgeting nervously.

"I-I had fun tonight," she said, again. "Thank you for letting me come over. A-and officially meet your dad. It was nice."

Adrien seemed taken aback by her sudden withdrawal but said nothing, hands retreating to his pockets in a sort of self-conscious motion. "Y-yeah," he said. His eyes didn't meet her own. "Thank you for helping me out with that. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be stuck living at home."

Right. It was all a ploy. This… This was all fake, wasn't it?

Fake girlfriend. Fake relationship. It was all pretend—they were  _pretending._

Clearing her throat to rid the shakiness she was sure would show in her voice, Marinette nodded, fingers curling into her clutch. She shivered as delicate raindrops began to slide down her skin and onto her clothing, momentarily mourning the fact that her dress was getting wet. A fat droplet of water splashed onto her nose. She rubbed it with her hand.

Figures it would start to rain again.

"It's no problem, really," Marinette assured, taking another step backward. "I'm um, sorry I freaked out earlier—"

Adrien smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He held up a hand in reassurance. "It's okay."

The rest of the walk home was silent.

Once they'd made it to the back door of the bakery, Marinette leaned against it, doused heels in hand and toes freezing. Her dress stuck to her skin from wetness and her hair had fallen out of her bun into slick, dripping stands, which pressed against her back as a cold reminder that they hadn't escaped the downpour. Her body shivered. A crack of thunder sounded in the sky as her nose threatened to run from the chill.

Adrien hadn't been spared from the weather either. His golden hair stuck to his forehead in a curly mess, and the white of his shirt had become see-through with the rain, which made Marinette thankful he was wearing a black vest to cover sights she wasn't prepared to feast her eyes on anytime soon.

("Feast" her eyes on… She didn't like the wording of that thought.)

Standing drenched and miserable, all the pair could do once they met each other's gaze was laugh.

"Hey," Adrien said, pushing his sopping bangs away from his eyes. "I'm really sorry I dragged you into this mess. I know asking you to come over tonight was really short notice and with the whole… Fake dating thing… Everything's kind of turned into shambles. But I'm really grateful you've done this for me. You're-" he smiled at her and it was  _blinding,_  "you're a really good friend, Mari."

_Mari._

Feeling her insides become fuzzy and warm and  _right_ , Marinette placed a hand on her damp chest, feeling the aftermath of the multiple glasses of wine she'd had that night. "It's nothing, really. Like I said, if you need help with something, I'll be there. I mean, maybe we should have thought the whole 'fake relationship' thing through a little more, but… It works out for me, too. Now I can move in with my roomie without my parents or friends getting suspicious."

"Is there anything I can do in return?" Adrien asked. He sounded almost  _desperate_ —like he wanted to repay the favor although the plan was benefiting her as well. "Like if you want to grab dinner sometime or—"

Marinette bit her lower lip with a grin, forgetting the loss of her lipstick. Part of her—the tipsy half of herself—was tempted to invite him up to her bedroom, but she quickly scolded herself with a mental slap to the wrist because  _Adrien is in love with someone else, you dummy_. Instead, she teased, "Why, Adrien, are you asking me out on a date?"

By the way Adrien's face flushed a deep red and his eyes widened comically, she felt  _something_  spark between them, her feet stumbling over air as she stood up straight.

Oh-

Oh  _shit._ Maybe he  _was._

"Adrien!" she squeaked. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Adrien gave a helpless shrug of his shoulders, which looked hilarious considering he had his hands buried in his pockets. "I-I don't know!" he wheezed, looking almost as if he was panicking. "Maybe? Yes? N-nooo…? Yes? I really don't know. It'll be like a platonic outing between friends if that's something that happens-"

 _That_  made Marinette break into laughter. "Oh my gosh, Adrien," she snickered, cupping a hand over her mouth. "You're so awkward, it's adorable."

Adrien's lip jutted out into a pout as he crossed his arms. "Thanks," he deadpanned. "You know, I think I retract my previous statement. No date for you."

"So it  _is_  a date?"

"I-" Adrien held up a finger, scowling down at her. Though, his scowl wasn't the least bit threatening. He just looked like an exaggerated kitten whose fur was fluffed up to make itself seem tougher. "You win this time, Marinette."

Smirking triumphantly, Marinette stood up straight, crossing her arms underneath her breasts proudly. "I'm free on Fridays."

With a sigh of defeat, Adrien smiled, placing a hand on his heart. "She's after me for my money."

"Don't make me step on your toes again."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Speaking of dreaming…" Marinette said, shooting a glance up at her bedroom window. "It's getting late and I've had a little too much to drink and I'm probably going to turn in soon. You can come inside until it stops raining if you want, but I'm going to change out of these wet clothes first."

Adrien nodded, rubbing the hairs on his nape as his cheeks darkened to a shade of red. "O-oh, um, sure."

Wondering why he was looking at her like  _that,_  Marinette motioned with her head for him to follow her indoors, leading him up the stairs and to the main room of her home. She watched as Adrien went to sit on her couch but refrained due to his wet clothing, jerking himself upwards as he realized he was soaking wet and didn't want to track puddles all over the apartment. A laugh rose from Marinette's throat before she could stop it.

"What?" Adrien asked, jokingly offended.

"You," responded Marinette with a grin. "Wait here. I'm going to go get you a towel."

Adrien stood to the side in waiting. His eyes widened as he noticed the pond that had appeared at his feet from his dripping body and he shot her an apologetic look, but Marinette waved it off with a hand, nonchalant about the mess.

"Don't worry about it," she said. Her bare feet felt slippery on the wood flooring and she placed a hand on the railing of the stairs that led to her bedroom as a precaution. "That's nothing a towel can't fix."

Trailing rainwater up the stairs, Marinette sifted through the closet in her bedroom and pulled out two of her fluffiest, warmest pink towels, setting them on her chaise as she slipped out of her sopping clothes and dried herself. The towel felt so  _nice_  on her skin. She wanted to sit down and go straight to bed, but she couldn't exactly curl up onto her chaise without any clothing on, especially when Adrien was downstairs…

Well, she  _could,_ but then Adrien would be in her living room soaking wet and waiting for her to bring him a towel for hours. Unless he came to look for her, then  _that_  would be a whole different situation-

Marinette smacked her cheeks to snap herself out of whatever trance her mind was slipping into. After she donned a pair of pajamas—an oversized t-shirt and polka-dotted shorts—she returned back downstairs with one towel wrapped around her head and the other folded in her arms, dry and ready to be used by one order of tall, blonde and drop-dead  _gorgeous._

Adrien was still standing in the same spot. With his hands messing with his hair that was disheveled beyond redemption and a puddle beneath his feet, he looked like a drenched cat, grouchy from getting his fur wet.

"Here," Marinette chuckled, handing him the hot-pink towel. "There's not much I can do about the state of your clothing, but this should help a bit."

Smiling in thanks, Adrien took the towel from her hands and began to scrub his hair with it. "Thanks," he said. "I'd call my driver to come pick me up but I'm not supposed to bother him after eleven, so… Unless I want to walk home in the rain, I'm stuck here till it stops."

"I don't mind," Marinette assured him. She ventured into her kitchen and turned on the coffee maker with the intents of a nice, hot drink to warm her insides and help her relax for the night. "You want some coffee?"

Removing the towel from his head, Adrien looked at her with bright green eyes and golden hair that had frizzed up into an unruly  _mess_. "Sure, Mari. Sounds great."

Marinette's heart jumped excitedly.  _Mari, Mari, Mari._

She loved that nickname  _so_  much.

It was too late at night for her to still be awake. Stifling a yawn so large that it made her whole body feel heavy, Marinette slumped into a chair at her dining table as she placed the two mugs of coffee atop the glass surface. Adrien joined her shortly after—still sopping wet—and smiled as he took a sip of his drink.

Marinette paused her movements of putting sugar into her own as she watched the motherfucker drink his coffee  _straight black._  "That is disgusting, Adrien."

Adrien swallowed, an expression of surprise evident in his confused gaze. "What?"

"Since when do you drink your coffee black?"

"Huh?" Glancing down into his mug, Adrien laughed. "You know what? I'm so tired I didn't even notice."

Oh my  _god._  Marinette smacked a hand on her forehead. "That's so  _gross._ "

A grin split Adrien's face. "Says the girl who puts four sugars and three creamers into her coffee and  _still_  insists that it's not sweet enough."

Rolling her eyes with a playful smirk, Marinette chose to ignore his remark by taking a sip of her own drink. It was pleasantly hot as it rolled down her throat and filled her stomach, and she almost shuddered from how cozy the simple beverage made her feel. It was like her bed was calling her, awaiting her return to its beautiful, comforting clutches… Sleep would be so wonderful right now, wouldn't it…

"Marinette?"

Oh, Adrien's voice sounded so nice. He had such a  _nice_ voice and every word he said sounded like honey and sugar and everything she ever needed in life-

A tap on her arm jolted her awake from whatever stupor she had fallen in, startling her enough to slosh her coffee around in her mug and spill a few drops on the table. She scrubbed at her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, vision bleary. "Did you say something?"

Adrien sniggered behind his hand. "No, sleepyhead. You were drifting off pretty hardcore there."

The pouring rain outside hadn't subsided. It still pelted against the rooftops, cracked against the windows and poured down the side of Marinette's home. A flash of lightning illuminated the sky, and thunder rolled relentlessly above. The lights flickered momentarily.

She and Adrien had lapsed into a silence again. While the quietude wasn't awkward, it certainly didn't feel comfortable. The pair sipped on their coffee until their mugs were empty and the pot ran cold.

"It's so late," Marinette breathed, catching the time on the digital clock on her oven as she glanced at it. "We used to stay up this late all the time, didn't we?"

Adrien nodded in recollection. "Oh, yeah. It would be until five or six in the morning sometimes. Especially when we were playing video games."

"God," Marinette laughed. "Those were fun times."

A second quiet followed. Adrien didn't offer more than a sad smile in response.

With a sigh, Marinette said, "I'm sorry we drifted apart, Adrien. I know we were both busy but we really shouldn't have let that happen, and I—"

"Hey, it's okay," Adrien said. He placed a hand on her own and Marinette felt herself  _falling._  "It's my fault as much as it's yours. We didn't have much time, right? I was traveling and you were designing and in university. It's alright. At least we're talking now."

"We should have  _made_  time, though," Marinette murmured.

Adrien squeezed her hand. "Yeah, we should've… But we didn't. Let's just focus on now, okay? We won't let that happen again. We're… We're still friends. We are, aren't we?"

"Of course we are," Marinette responded. She sat up in her chair and rested her hand over Adrien's, which held her other so fondly. "Just because we drifted doesn't mean we're not friends anymore. I mean, we might not be as close anymore, but—"

Adrien wilted. "I'm sorry."

Poor Adrien. He felt so guilty and Marinette didn't know what to do…

"Don't apologize," she told him. "We're gonna fix this, okay? Just maybe when we're not tipsy and tired and soaking wet." She paused to yawn, allowing the relentless sleepiness to take over her body. Her exhaustion was beginning to show in her voice. "We'll see each other more. Especially now that we're working together."

He set his eyes on her, the corners of them crinkling just slightly as his lips twitched upwards. "Hey, does this make me your boss? Or am I just the handsome coworker you admire from afar?"

She huffed through her nose. "Neither."

 _Definitely not the second one,_ she deliberated in her mind.  _Not the second one, not the second one, not-_

"Aw," he whined in disappointment. "And here I was under the impression that you thought I was cute."

Marinette's cheeks darkened. She looked away as she went to sip the nonexistent coffee from her empty mug. "Wh-where'd you get that idea?"

Adrien shrugged. His eyes shone like summer in the light of her home. "Just a guess."

The hours crawled by until the city was asleep and the rain had ceased, the clock in Marinette's kitchen ticking past two in the morning. Her parents would be waking up in two hours. She needed to send Adrien on his way before they scolded them both for staying up so late, just as they always had.

"The rain's stopped," Marinette said suddenly, unintentionally interrupting Adrien's captivating story about the "model from Hell" he had to work with the other day. "I didn't even realize how late it was. Gosh, I'm so tired."

Adrien nodded. "Yeah, I'm kind of sleepy too."

Stretching her arms high above her head, Marinette squeaked out a yawn and slumped in her chair, nearly sliding out of it from how intensely she'd relaxed. Her eyes felt like they had weights attached to the lids that were pulling them down, down, down… and her mind was so close to just slipping off into slumber...

"Marinette says it's time for Adrien to leave," Adrien laughed, standing from his chair and collecting their mugs before washing them at the sink. "Marinette  _also_  says that she's tired as heck and needs to fix her sleeping schedule right this moment."

Marinette gave a half-hearted mumble of something along the lines of either "shut up" or "fuck you," but all the came out was a tired, garbled jumble of words.

"You're going to bed," Adrien told her. He lifted her from her chair and stumbled as he held her in his arms. "Oh, fuck, I'm too sleep-drunk to carry you right now. I'm gonna drop you going up the stairs."

With a snort of amusement Marinette righted herself to her feet. "That's a nice gesture, Adrien, but I can walk, you know. I'm going to bed now."

"She's kicking me out," Adrien said, voice shaky from a laugh. "Gee, am I glad you're not my roommate. You'd kick me out of my own home the first night when you got tired."

"Banned," Marinette joked as she began to walk—well, sway—up the stairs. "You are  _banned_  from ever visiting me again."

"That hurts."

"Leave," laughed Marinette, turning her head back to him with a smile wider than she'd been able to give these past few weeks. "Call an Uber and go home, Adrien."

Holding up his hands in mock defense, Adrien snickered, "I'm going, I'm going." He folded the towel he'd used hours before and set it on Marinette's table for easy access in the morning. "But, hey—promise we'll keep in contact, okay? Let's not do the whole 'not speaking to each other for five months' thing again."

They shared a laugh, but it wasn't a happy one.

"Alright," Marinette said. She opened her trapdoor and yawned. "Tell you what: I'll text you, but you have to promise to let me know when you're free one night. We're going out on that date you promised and  _you're_  gonna have fun."

Sticking out his tongue in a childish manner, Adrien took a step back. "If you say so."

"I'll be around to make sure you don't attempt to steal anyone's cat again," Marinette jested.

Adrien threw his hands up in the air. "That was  _one_  time!"

Laughing, Marinette shook her head as she walked up to her room, running her hand along the wall to flick on the light switch so she wasn't stumbling around in the dark. "Goodnight, Adrien. I'll see you around."

Adrien's voice rose from below. "'Night, Mari."

With a click of her door, he was gone.

Marinette crawled into bed that night feeling light and breathless.

Spending time with Adrien had been nice. Fun, even. It felt so good to be around him again.

(The flirting, she realized, was a complete upside. They had occasionally flirted back in lycée, of course, but it had never been to  _that_ extent before.)

With all the stress in her life from school and work and moving out, it felt wonderful just to spend a night with one of her best friends. And, even though they weren't as close as they used to be—as a few of their awkward encounters continued to prove—Marinette still felt glad to have him back. Sure, their friendship would need work, and they would need to communicate more often, but…

They were getting there. Slowly, but surely.

And to think that sometime soon she and Adrien had a  _date._ Her younger self would have positively died.

(As if her present self  _wouldn't,_  though.)

Things were different, yes, and soon her life would be turned upside down—in a day's time she and Chat Noir would finally seal the deal on their apartment—but she was ready.

Marinette was ready to face the world if she needed to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know what's funny? i had a super nice apartment i was referencing on my old pc and forgot to save the website when i got a new one so guess who has to spend hours searching for it again  
> (hint: it's me)


	9. A Few Days Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving day is only seventy-two hours away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello im back again with another update  
> sorry for the delay. it's been a really hard past two months for me. i lost my dad in december, been swamped at work catching up and ive been having such a terrible writer's block that even getting this chapter out took too long to write (and frankly im not too happy with it, but i decided it was best to at least put SOMETHING out)
> 
> so !! here you go!!!! (and dont worry, i know this fic is centered on lovesquare atm, but there will be more characters included soon)

Moving day would soon be upon them.

Marinette patted her cheeks with her bare hands, her breath coming in quick, silent gasps. The nerves were starting to get to her in a way that made her stomach wrestle uncomfortably with her throat. She squinted her eyes shut as she stood in line at a coffee shop, the warm, bitter scent of coffee beans and fresh pastries filling her nostrils and making her head spin. It was all sort of overwhelming, the smells and sounds and thoughts swimming around in her head, and she just wanted to pick up the lattes the morning models had ordered and get back to work before her boss,  _Gabriel Agreste_ , complained about her elongated absence.

Three days. There were merely three days until she and Chat Noir—her partner, her most trusted friend and colleague—would be moving into the same apartment together.

_Together,_ she mused,  _we're moving in together, holy shit-_

"What can I get for you?"

Snapping out of her reverie, Marinette looked up to see that the barista (who looked like she could use some caffeine herself from the dark bags that hung underneath her eyes) had asked for her order. Which, at the moment, completely eluded Marinette's mind. Scrambling to open up the memo note on her phone where she'd written the orders down, she read them off one by one, getting a simple mocha frappuccino for herself to sip on during the walk back.

(She needed her caffeine too, after all.)

At least it was a short walk. The coffee shop was only seven minutes up the road from  _Gabriel_  and was a favorite for most employees.

As she waited for her order, Marinette sat at a table by the window. The sun was shining so brightly outside that she had to glance away from the street due to its reflection off of the adjacent shop's window. She went to rub her eyes—because, damn, she was tired—but stopped herself right before her knuckles brushed her skin. Right; she was wearing makeup. There would be no smudged eyeliner today, no sirree. Not when she was about to head back to work and see Adrien all prettied up in a spring suit he'd be modeling for the company's latest fashion magazine.

Adrien had offered to pick up the coffees himself, but Marinette declined. She was, at the moment, just a seamstress who fixed loose threads or tears in fabrics on models' clothing, so being gone for less than a half hour wouldn't be too much of a big deal. Besides, it gave her time to collect her thoughts.

A bird chirped outside. Marinette watched it flutter from one of the many trees that adorned the city sidewalks as she waited for her coffee.

Her first month at  _Gabriel_ had been interesting, to say the least. Though she and Adrien didn't get to work in the same room too often, they still got to see each other almost daily. Whether from bumping into each other whenever Marinette accidentally dropped something on the floor or taking an outing to a fabric shop, they spent whatever free time at work they could together. Sometimes, if it was a slow day, they would just sit in the employee lounge talking, laughing and making everything feel  _right_. Their friendship has been saved by the job, coincidentally. Now they got to enjoy each other's company whether they wanted to or not.

(And Marinette did. Marinette wanted to spend time with him  _so_  bad.)

A sigh fell from her lips.

The job was exhausting on its own, somedays. From the constant running around in search of supplies or up and down the elevators to fix a model's frayed clothing, Marinette often found herself needing to take a couple minutes during the day just to catch her breath.

At least her workplace was nice at its core. Her pay had substantially increased from when she was working retail. She no longer felt guilty in treating herself to a nice dinner or new sewing supplies every now and then, and she even had the ability to bring gifts home for her parents every once in a while. She loved that she could surprise them with something nice when she returned to the bakery at the end of the day, weary but ultimately very happy.

Marinette sighed as a beam of sunshine washed over her. She relished in the few moments of quiet she could attain just from a simple outing to a coffee shop. Soon she'd be on her way back to work, where the hustle and bustle of the spring season would crowd her every thought and movement until she clocked out at five and was welcomed home by her forever-loving bed.

"Marionette?" a voice called, causing Marinette to open her eyes (which she hadn't even realized were closed.) "Is there a Marionette here?"

_Oh, please._  Rolling her eyes, Marinette stood from the table and slung her purse over her shoulder as she walked to the counter, taking the to-go carrier for the coffee with a grin and a polite, "Thank you." She didn't bother correcting the barista, as there wasn't really any point to it—the place was packed and she was probably just as overwhelmed as Marinette was herself.

The walk back to  _Gabriel_  was short. As a gentle breeze blew through the air, Marinette hummed a light tune while trying to distract herself from the impending anxiety that would no doubt assault her physically by the end of the night due to her move in a few days. Right now she had to focus on work. Work, work, work,  _work_.

(And she did not, by all means, need to focus on the fact that she and Chat Noir would be sharing the same living space within three days. The idea that all of her personal belongings besides her bed and a few pairs of clothing had been stashed away in boxes wasn't what she needed to think about at the moment. Really, knowing that she'd be sleeping in the same house as her long-time partner and friend wasn't what should be on her mind!)

There was an instant chill as Marinette walked through the imposing glass doors at the front of the massive building that was her workplace.  _Gabriel_  always had a cold air to it no matter what the weather was like outside. Suppressing a shiver, Marinette stepped inside the elevator and pressed the button for the eleventh floor, tapping her foot as she waited to reach her destination.

She wondered if Adrien was still up there, looking so prim and proper and handsome. He probably was. The thought made her heart skip a beat.

The coffee carrier was warm in her hands. Her fingers felt slightly numb from the temperature.

In all honesty, Marinette really had tried to get over her near decade-old crush, but it'd been to no avail. She'd long since come to terms with the fact that she still held feelings for him. And even if she wanted to hide them from herself, it would be damn near impossible when she saw him on an almost daily basis. They often went out on their lunch breaks together—most of the time with other co-workers, but sometimes alone—and said hi whenever they passed each other in the halls. There was no way Marinette would have ever been able to deny her feelings with that type of proximity.

She had to remind herself that they were friends again. Good friends. And just that fact alone made her feel at peace with herself.

As she re-entered the room Adrien had been in for his shoot, she was blinded by a brief flash of white light, nearly dropping the lattes in the process. Marinette blinked fiercely for a few seconds to rid the spots in her vision. The shoot must still have been going on from the looks of it; bright yellow lights glaring on the scene and cameras flashing in front of three models—one being Adrien—as they posed in front of a backdrop of a field of flowers. Adrien sat in a chair while two girls (whose names Marinette could barely remember) posed at his sides.

They all looked so ethereal. They really did. The girls were gorgeous and Adrien—

Well, Adrien was like… Like everything that was great in the world. Like sunshine and spring and  _goodness_.

"Marinette's back!" one of the models cheered. It was one of the two girls that were posing with Adrien—her name was Chelle, Marinette recalled with a sudden burst of memory. As she approached Marinette she held up the bottom of her orange dress and pushed her long brown hair over her shoulders, thanking her extensively for the coffee. "You have no idea how badly I need this right now. I feel like I'm about to drop dead."

Marinette laughed. "That would be unfortunate." Her eyes widened as Chelle dipped her head back and drank half of the latte like it was a shot of alcohol.

The second model came to her side, a taller girl with dark, curly hair donned in an orange dress much like Chelle's. Marinette hadn't met her yet. She must have been new.

"Thanks," the girl said. She took a sip of her coffee and let out a long, heavy yawn. "Oh, it's too early."

"It's ten in the morning, Amelie." Adrien stepped out from behind the cameras with a grin almost as bright as the suffocating lights they were under. Marinette had to take a step back to simply  _admire_  him. He was dressed up in a gorgeous spring suit; a blue flannel underneath a light beige blazer with blue jeans and matching belt. His hair was purposefully mused and his  _eyes_ —

His eyes shone like summer itself. Marinette reluctantly repressed the sigh she so badly wanted to emit.

Adrien gave her a smile that showed his dimples as he gently took the last latte from her hands. "Thanks, Marinette. I— _we_  really appreciate it."

Amelie nodded. Her ringlets bounced with the movement of her head. "We do. I stayed up way too late last night to be awake right now."

Tossing the to-go carrier in the trash, Marinette chuckled after she took a sip of her frappuccino. "I've been up since six-thirty."

Adrien shot her a smirk. "Overachiever."

Marinette gave a good-humored roll of her eyes.

The models finished their coffee and resumed their shoot while Marinette stood the side and observed. It was one of her favorite parts of her job and a definite perk; she got to see fashion spreads come to life as the models posed and were photographed. The fact that Adrien was in most of the shoots made it even more fun.

(Not because she was attracted to him, of course, although that was a bonus; the real reason was that he'd occasionally make a funny face in her direction, or mouth something that only she could understand. It was difficult at times to explain to the photographers why she had suddenly burst into a fit of giggles.)

Adrien was too cute for his own good sometimes. Funny, too. His sense of humor was terrible in an endearing way.

Thoughts drifting, Marinette let herself wonder for just a moment how Adrien's life was going outside of work. They did talk every now and then of course, but he never mentioned much about when he was moving in with that girl he liked or even if it was still happening. Would it be a thing soon? Or did they already live together? She didn't know. And it wasn't really any of her business anyway.

What did their apartment look like, she pondered? Was it big? Pretty? It was probably pretty. But so was her and Chat Noir's place, too.

Excitement bubbled within her stomach as she thought about the apartment she and Chat Noir had picked out. Her fingers fiddled with the skirt of her floral-patterned dress.

They had toured it separately a month ago. She had gone first to check it out—and goodness, was it gorgeous inside, albeit a little small—and Chat Noir had gone after to sign the lease. It was a beautiful place with high floor-to-ceiling windows and a spacious living room where they could easily fit two love seats or a single couch, and although the bedrooms were quite tiny, they were quaint and exceptionally cozy. Marinette had chosen the one with the most space and the best lighting (which Chat Noir thankfully had no problem with) and the thought filled her to brim with untapped enthusiasm. She needed room for her designing, after all. At least Chat had reassured her that he didn't mind.

Though it only had one bathroom and didn't have a large terrace like she was used to, it did have an extended balcony that stretched across both bedrooms with enough space for some plants and a couple chairs. There was plenty of room for her flowers outside and even in the interior since enough light reached the living room and her bedroom that they could grow with ease.

It was a wonderful little apartment. Full of sunshine and warmth a feel of  _home._

As for how they would split the bills, they'd decided that Marinette would give Chat her half of the rent each month in cash and the rest (like groceries and utilities) they would figure out once they were settled.

It was a learning process. They both were still kind of clueless, but Marinette had her parents (or even Alya) to help with any rut she might find herself in.

Her parents had been so understanding when she'd told them she was moving out with Adrien instead of a stranger. They were happy, too; glad their daughter had a friend to live with instead of someone they'd never met before. Her mother adored Adrien and trusted him almost as much as she did Alya. Though they were a bit skeptical that she and Adrien weren't dating (as the lie had only been necessary for Adrien's father) they understood that the two were moving in together as friends until any future developments, if there were to be any.

And although she felt horrible for lying to her parents about who her roommate was, it was unfortunately very necessary.

"You still with us, Mari?" Adrien teased from his seat.

Startled by the sudden sound of his voice, Marinette regarded him with a playful glare as she gave a show of sticking out her tongue.

Eventually, she was called out of the room the shoot was in and had to rush down to the sixth floor of the building where a deep tear in an evening gown critically needed fixing. After that she was sent all over the building for the next few hours, sewing and critiquing and offering her assistance until her legs felt like jello from trekking across the entirety of the  _Gabriel_  headquarters. Once she'd retrieved some designs from Gabriel's office itself to send to the design team (since they desperately needed more), she collapsed into a cushioned chair in the employee lounge with a long, fatigued sigh.

Whew. She couldn't wait to move in with Chat Noir. Her job was so exhausting sometimes that coming home to one of his massages would feel like  _heaven._

Her phone vibrated in her pocket.

**Adrien - 2:03 P.M.**  
Want to meet for lunch? I'm taking my break in 5 minutes

Marinette couldn't help the smile that split her cheeks. Her face warmed at the thought of spending her lunch break with Adrien. Where would they go today, she wondered? Maybe to a little deli around the corner for some sandwiches, or perhaps somewhere a tad nicer for a more dignified meal. It was such a nice day that she hoped wherever they went they would be sitting outside on the terrace so she could feel the breeze on her skin and see the sun sparkle in Adrien's eyes.

Minutes passed as Marinette sat lifelessly in the lounge chair before she realized it would be best to present Adrien with a response.

**Messaging -**   **Adrien** **\- 2:07 P.M.**  
Sure I'd love to!

There was a brief feeling of regret as she pressed the send button. Was that too excited of a reply? Did she seem too eager to spend time with him?

_God, Marinette, you probably freaked him out,_ her mind hissed.

Ah, no matter. She waved the thought away with a nervous shake of her head.

Things would be fine.

Probably.

* * *

The two of them ended up meeting at their go-to café right around the corner. Their conversation was simple for the most part, added with the occasional joke or friendly comment, and only interrupted twice when the waiter asked for their orders and brought them their food. They'd both ordered chicken caesar salads and were given a pitcher of water to share.

The atmosphere of the café was nice. There was soft music playing on the overhead speakers and the sun outside was pleasantly warm. A light breeze danced through the air, but it wasn't strong enough to cause any disruption. Marinette smiled as she stirred her straw around in her glass.

Adrien looked so handsome dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans with his hair all mused. He seemed a little tired, but it was kind of working for him.

She felt her cheeks flush as she looked away.

"I love weather like this," she said after a moment. Her gaze moved up from the table to meet Adrien's green, green eyes. "Don't you?"

Adrien nodded as he swallowed a bite of his food. "Oh, yeah. Not too hot and not too cold. That's why spring is my favorite season."

"It's also the busiest season for you, I'm sure," Marinette countered with a grin.

"True," Adrien said. He leaned back in his chair. "But it's nice. I get to meet new people and have new experiences, even if it is exhausting sometimes."

A small gust of wind swayed through the café terrace, caressing the red awning that jutted out from the wall and causing leaves to scatter across the pavement. Marinette's face scrunched up as a couple strands of her hair flew into her mouth and she narrowed her eyes as Adrien let out a laugh full of mirth.

"You try having long hair in windy weather," she said. "This is why I never wear it down."

Removing the hair-tie she usually kept on her wrist, Marinette pulled her hair back into a high ponytail, much like how she kept it when she transformed into her alter-ego. It was easier to manage that way and kept it from obstructing her vision.

She didn't catch the way Adrien squinted his eyes at her for just a brief second, or how he cocked his head to the side as if he was feeling some sort of odd recognition…

The waiter came to take their plates once they'd finished their food. Marinette watched as Adrien refilled their water glasses.

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip. She swirled the water around in her cup before asking, "so, has your dad been bugging you about the whole relationship thing at all?"

For some reason, she couldn't meet his eyes once the question fell from her lips.

Adrien shook his head. "Not really. I mean, every now and then he'll ask about you and wonder what you're up to and when we're going to have dinner again, but for the most part he's been pretty quiet. Except for the last few days, that is."

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Reaching back to fiddle with the hairs at his nape, Adrien shrugged. "Yeah. I'm moving out really soon so he's been a little 'concerned' I guess. He just wants to make sure I'm doing the right thing."

Ahh, so he  _was_  still moving in with that girl.

"And I know I am," he continued, pausing for only a second to take a drink, "because it feels right, you know? Like, I have this feeling in my gut that this thing is what I'm meant to be doing. It's another step in my life I'm taking so I can move up to where I want to be. And I'm happy I'm doing it."

Wow, he… He put that in words better than Marinette could have herself.

"I feel the same," she said. "My parents are kind of worried about me leaving the house, but… I know I'm doing the right thing. It's time for me to get on with my life and get somewhere."

"And you have been," Adrien told her. A proud gleam shone in his eyes. "You've got yourself a job you deserve now and I know that in no time you'll be moving up the ladder and become one of my dad's lead designers. You've got a lot of talent and so much potential, Marinette. I can't wait to see what you're going to be doing in five, ten years."

Were there tears in her eyes? Marinette felt like there were tears in her eyes. There probably wasn't, but she honestly felt like she could  _cry_  from the stuff Adrien was saying. To hear that coming from him, well… She wanted to just leap across the table and shower him with kisses.

Deciding that probably wasn't the best option, Marinette opted to reply with words instead of physical affection. "Thanks, Adrien. That… That means a lot to me."

Adrien's smile was blinding. "It's just the truth, Marinette."

"S-stoooop," she laughed, covering her face as it flushed all the way to her neck and ears. "Quit it, Adrien, you're gonna make me cry."

"I'm sorry," Adrien chuckled. He reached across the table and Marinette nearly squealed at how soft his hands felt as they enveloped her own, pulling them away from her face in such a gentle motion that it felt so- so  _surreal_ , like… Like she was dreaming.

"Are you?" Marinette teased.

Adrien grinned. "No, not really. I've gotta show support for my friends, right? I mean, besides Nino, Alya and Chloé, you're one of the only friends from collége and lycée that I've actually kept up with. Er, sort of."

"Sort of" being that five-month period where they hadn't spoken a word to each other.

Speaking of Nino and Alya, that reminded her…

"Since you mentioned Nino," Marinette said, a flicker of anticipation rising up within her chest, "I assume he told you the news?"

The way Adrien's face brightened and how he sat up completely straight told Marinette exactly what she was hoping for. She smiled knowingly.

"What news?" Adrien laughed, placing his hands on the table. "The fact that they're moving back to Paris in a few months, or the other minor detail that they're going to have a  _baby_?"

"It's so crazy!" Marinette exclaimed. "I can't believe Alya's already two months. And that they're coming back to Paris after their baby is born is so- so exciting! I can't wait to see them again. I really can't."

"I kind of wish they were back already," Adrien said. He finished off the last of his water and frowned at the empty pitcher. "But I guess we could always fly up to see them."

"Oh, no doubt," Marinette said. "I've actually been thinking of doing that now that I can afford it. I've never been to America. It should be fun!"

"We should plan a trip, then," Adrien offered. "We could fly up together when we get some time off. Probably after the season is over."

Marinette felt something combust inside of her. "Th-that would be perfect."

The brimming enthusiasm that overtook her every other thought made Marinette fidget in her seat. It was amazing way. So amazing in fact that all she wanted to do was just stand up and scream to the world that her best friend was going to be a mother, to have a  _baby,_  and… And it was wonderful! And she and Adrien were going to  _visit_  soon!

Alya was going to have a baby and it was  _wonderful_. It really, really was.

Except... It made Marinette kind of sad, in a way. She couldn't be there for Alya while she was going through whatever pains pregnancy brought her. Of course, Nino would be, but… It was different. She was her best friend. She wanted to be there.

(And part of her, just a tiny, itty-bitty little part deep inside of her was feeling the slightest bit of envy that Alya had managed to find someone who loved her so dearly enough to want to marry her, to give her a beautiful engagement ring and have a child with her. And Marinette felt a pit of sorrow in her chest because she was still single at twenty-one without ever having a real successful relationship.

But this wasn't about her. It was about Alya and Nino. And that was what was most important.)

After lunch—which Adrien had paid for no matter how much Marinette insisted he didn't have to—the two of them walked back to work with a peaceful air between them. They bid their goodbyes as they clocked back in, Marinette watching Adrien as he went up to his father's office while she herself stayed downstairs to find the bathroom.

As she stared at her reflection in the long mirrors of one of many of  _Gabriel_ 's pristine bathrooms, she sighed. The dejected feeling that crawled up her body had certainly been unexpected. As well as the fact that she had found herself—just for a short moment in time—imagining what it would be like for her and Adrien to have a relationship like Nino and Alya did.

"Pull it together," she told herself, tapping her cheeks with a splash of water. "You can't keep getting distracted by pretty boys like Adrien and—"

She caught herself as the name of another boy she knew almost slipped from her tongue.

"—someone else," she finished. Marinette wiped her hands on a paper towel. Well. That was enough thinking for one day.

Once she'd collected her nerves, Marinette left the bathroom with a focus stronger than before and went through the rest of her workday determined to butt out any distractions that came her way.

She was strong. And she had good things to look forward to. Many, many good things.

* * *

"On your left!"

Adrien vaulted himself out of the way with his baton as Ladybug zipped past him, red-and-black spotted Lucky Charm in her hand. His transformation was three minutes from falling and the night's akuma—Switchblade, as he liked to call himself—stood fifteen meters above them atop the roof of a two-story ice cream shop. The place had been quaint before the akuma attacked, and it appeared to be family-owned, which was unfortunate because Switchblade had just sliced the building completely in half.

Adrien watched as one side of it crumbled to the street. The red-and-white striped awning bent and tore.

Ah, well. At least it was late and past closing hours.

"What kind of villain just carries around a gigantic blade?" he asked the bronze-coated man, running in step at his Lady's side. He leaned down and cupped his hands together so she could use his palms for leverage to leap into the air. "That's not very  _knife_  of you!"

His pun went ignored. What a shame; it was a really good one.

(Haha, " _knife_ of you.")

"Chat Noir, focus!" Ladybug shouted down at him. Once she landed in front of the akuma, she used her Lucky Charm (a stepstool) to trip Switchblade as he lunged to grab her. Ladybug darted out of the way with her yo-yo just as the villain fell to the ground and made quick work to swipe the infected business card from his metal pocket before ripping it in half.

Adrien's eyes widened as the blade Switchblade had been holding came for him. He took two steps to the right, watching with a confident smile as the weapon stuck itself in the sidewalk with a springing sound. Jeez, how lame. The akuma were getting easier and easier to defeat these days. That, or he and Ladybug were just getting even better at their job than they already were.

As Ladybug purified the tell-tale butterfly that flitted out from the shredded remains of the business card, Adrien joined her at the front of the collapsed ice cream parlor and yawned. Man, it was late. Papillon had no business causing an akuma at eleven-thirty at night. What was Switchblade's deal, anyway? Who gets mad that their expensive, custom-made knives weren't selling well at nearly midnight? Shouldn't that have been a problem for like, tomorrow…?

The area was restored as Ladybug heaved the step stool into the air. There wasn't much of a celebration, though, and her obligatory shout of "Miraculous Ladybug" was surprisingly monotone.

After they comforted the akumatized victim and sent him on his way, Adrien patted a hand against Ladybug's back and smiled at her weary expression.

"Rough night?" he asked, chuckling as Ladybug let out a loud, drawn-out groan. "Oof, yeah. Looks like it."

"It's been a long, long day," she said, dragging her gloved hands down her face. "I had just clocked out from a nine- hour shift and was so ready to take a shower and go to bed after packing up the rest of my things and then all of a sudden Papillon decides to be a huge dickhead and screw up my sleeping schedule."

Their Miraculous'es beeped in unison. They regarded each other a reluctant frown.

Pointing to his ring, Adrien asked, "Meet up at the Tower in fifteen minutes?"

Ladybug's affirming nod was all he needed. "See you then, chaton."

Adrien used the last minute he had to his transformation to leap over several rooftops until he found himself in an alleyway between a liquor store and a small Italian restaurant. As the flash of green enveloped him, Plagg fizzled out from his ring and plopped into his hands with a high-pitched mewl. His whiskers twitched as he squirmed and complained.

"I'm so hungry," Plagg whined, kicking his feet. "I can't believe I was woken up from a nap for this."

Adrien cupped one hand over the other as a person walked by them on the sidewalk. Poking his head out from the alleyway, he glared down at Plagg once the coast was clear. "Shush," he whispered. "We're in public. We're right next to a restaurant so I'll get you some cheese if you stay quiet."

"It better be good cheese," Plagg hissed.

Rolling his eyes at his kwami's antics, Adrien slipped out from the alleyway and stuffed his hands (and Plagg) in his pockets, ignoring the way the tiny god nibbled at his fingers in resistance. He entered the restaurant with a smile on his face and was thankful it was small so that no paparazzi would follow his tail.

A heavyset woman with thick blonde hair greeted him and told him he could sit wherever he wanted and that she would be with him in a moment, so Adrien gladly took a seat and looked around. It was a nice place with warm lighting, paintings of Venice on the wall and an array of red chairs and booths. The floor was gray tile, and above him, Adrien noticed that each shade covering the lights over tables had a different yet equally as intricate design.

He never had chances to eat out at hole-in-the-wall places like this. If he didn't have plans to meet Ladybug, he might've stopped for dinner.

As he gazed over the menu for a simple cheese appetizer he could give to Plagg, a thought struck him. He sat up with a contemplative grin. If Ladybug had just clocked out from a nine-hour shift, she must be pretty hungry, right?

"Hey Plagg," Adrien whispered towards his pocket, thankful that the place was pretty much dead due to the late hour. He lifted the menu up just in case. "What kind of food do you think Ladybug would like?"

Plagg poked his head out from Adrien's jeans. "You can never go wrong with cheese."

"Does she even  _like_  cheese?"

"Who doesn't?"

Adrien frowned. "But she could be lactose intolerant and I would never know."

"Adrien." Plagg gave him a flat look. "Look around. This is an Italian restaurant. A lot of their food has cheese. Just get her something."

With a sigh, Adrien turned away from his kwami to scrutinize the menu. He wanted to get something good; to let her go to bed with a tasty dinner in her stomach and a smile on her face.

He hadn't expected choosing a meal for her to be so  _hard_ , though.

"Well, whatever you choose, hurry up," Plagg mumbled from his pocket. "I'm hungry."

Despite his selfishness, Plagg had a point. Adrien had promised he'd be at the Eiffel Tower in fifteen minutes and he still had to wait for whatever food he ordered to be made. Granted, the Tower was only a good five minutes away with his transformation, but he didn't want to keep his Lady waiting. She  _was_  the impatient type.

As the waitress asked for his order, he decided on a simple chicken parmesan for them both with a side of garlic knots (and some cheese bread for Plagg.) Ordering it to go, he waited only ten minutes before it was ready and made a quick stop to the liquor store on the way out to pick up some champagne for he and his Lady to share. They needed to celebrate, didn't they? They were taking a big step in their lives together. That warranted a little drinking.

"Here," Adrien said to Plagg as he offered him the cheese bread once they were back in the alleyway. "Eat up. The Lady's waiting."

Plagg gobbled up the appetizer, voice muffled from his mouthful as he said, "Whatever, loverboy."

Adrien was only six minutes late by the time he arrived at their usual meeting spot. At the sight of Ladybug resting against a metal beam with her eyes shut and chest slowly rising and falling, he smiled warmly. Such a tired little 'Bug. He almost didn't want to wake her. But then her food would go to waste, and that would be no good.

Sitting down next to her, Adrien gave her shoulder a gentle nudge with his own. "Buginette," he cooed, giving her a second bump when she didn't stir. "Ladybug. Wakey-wakey."

Ladybug mumbled something under her breath as she scrunched up her face. "What?"

"I brought food. You hungry?"

Blinking open her eyes, Ladybug looked down at the brown paper bag he held in his hand, her stomach responding accordingly. "Oh, shit. No way!"

Adrien nodded. "Mhm. Want to find somewhere more comfortable to eat? I happen to know of a restaurant terrace that's empty after hours." It was only a few minutes away. He'd stopped there himself a few times to relax after a long day of stress. The atmosphere would be good for them—Ladybug especially.

The place was adorned with string lights that never turned off, and roses as red as wine planted along the terrace railing and seating area. It was behind a taller building so they could happily have their privacy. And, to make things even better, it had a beautiful view of the city skyline. Adrien had never eaten there during its open hours, but he figured it wouldn't do any harm for him and Ladybug to stop by after closing, especially if they weren't going inside. Nobody would even know.

"Come on," he said. "I'd offer to carry you, but my hands are a little full."

Ladybug laughed, but the exhaustion was clear in her voice. "I don't think I'd let you carry me, chaton. I am very capable on my own."

"Aw, even when you're tired?" Adrien's lower lip jutted out in a faux-pout.

" _Especially_  when I'm tired," Ladybug said with a smirk as she stood. "If I fell asleep in your arms, I'd probably be trapped forever. Your hugs are like death-grips."

Adrien produced his baton from his back, extending it to his full height. "Nonsense. My hugs are just extra loving."

Ladybug twirled her yo-yo in her hand and shook her head, her lips curling upwards into a wide grin. She looked around, and Adrien was mesmerized by the way her ponytail swished with each movement of her head. "So," she said, one hand on her hip, "where is this terrace you're taking me to? Better not be too far. I can smell that food from here and it's making me hungry. What did you get?"

"You'll see," Adrien responded. With a cock of his head to the left, he signaled for her to follow him.

It only took them a few minutes to reach their destination, and as they landed, Adrien had to place a hand on his Lady's waist to keep her from stumbling. Gosh, the poor thing was so exhausted these days. It was like she didn't get much sleep anymore.

"You okay?" he asked.

Ladybug gave a wave of her hand to dismiss it. "Fine," she said. She opened her mouth to say something else but closed it again as she began surveying the area. The blue of her eyes reflected the lights into Adrien's own, and as he pulled out a chair for her to sit at, she was captivated by the sight of the city sparkling over the horizon. "Wow," she breathed. "You know, I've lived in Paris my entire life and you'd think looking at it would eventually get boring. But it doesn't. I still find myself amazed every now and then."

Adrien could understand how she felt. While living in the city was something he was used to,  _looking_  at it was something different entirely. Especially when it was just he and Ladybug like this.

His own stomach rumbled as a reminder that he hadn't eaten since two that afternoon. He'd been so busy at work that he hadn't even noticed he'd forgotten dinner. Part of him was thankful he had, or else he might not have been able to share a meal with his favorite person.

(And said "favorite person" was looking so beautiful, as she always did.)

"Alrighty," Adrien said as he took a seat across from her, scooting in the metal chair. "On the menu tonight for one gorgeous Ladybug and her stunning partner, we have two small side salads, a chicken parmesan to share, and an order of garlic knots with some champagne to celebrate. How's that sound?"

Ladybug placed her chin in her palm as she watched him unwrap all their food. "God," she said, voice quiet from weariness. "Marry me."

_What._

Eyes darting up to meet his partner's, Adrien felt his heart beating in his throat. He was sure his mouth was hanging open but he felt too numb to confirm whether or not it was. Lady—Ladybug was  _tired_. It was probably just a joke! No, no, it was  _definitely_  a joke. There would be no way that Ladybug would  _actually_  ask him to marry her—

Ladybug reached across the table to place a hand on his chin, her eyes glowing with  _something_  Adrien couldn't decipher. He could feel the heat of her hand through her suit and it was driving him insane. As she smiled at him, his heart melted into a puddle deep within his chest. His stomach felt like it was vibrating, a-and when her thumb stroked his jaw, his whole body  _tingled._

"Chat," she said, voice like honey.

Adrien swallowed audibly. "Y-yes, Ladybug?"

She pushed his chin up so his mouth would close. "Your mouth was hanging open. You'll catch flies like that."

Adrien's expression crumpled. Of course.

Shrugging it off with a smile—because he was happy to be in his Lady's company nonetheless—he delivered Ladybug her food and placed the side of knots between them, setting his own meal in front of himself. Just as he was about to open the champagne, he frowned, realizing that they had no flutes to drink from. He snorted at the thought of them both just passing the bottle back and forth to take swigs like some drunk teenagers at a lycee party.

"You think the owners of this place would get mad if I snuck in to grab us some glasses?" he asked, pointing backward at the glass doors with his thumb. "Unless you fancy drinking straight from the bottle."

"So long as you wash them, I think it'll be fine," Ladybug chuckled. She poked at her food with her fork. Adrien was thankful that plastic utensils had been placed in the bag for them. "Hurry back though."

"I'll be back in a twitch of a whisker _,_ " he said, throwing a smirk back at her as he stood from his chair. He didn't ignore the way Ladybug playfully rolled her eyes at his choice of words.

Slipping inside, Adrien wandered around the tables, thinking it looked quite odd to see all the chairs stacked on top of them in the dark. He made his way to the kitchen, where he glanced around for any sort of cups or glasses. His night vision was a wonderful aid in searching in the dark as it was pitch-black where there were no windows. Fumbling around, he pulled two champagne flutes from their holders and whistled as he walked back out into the light of the terrace.

"I hope I don't get charged for breaking and entering," he said with a laugh.

Ladybug snorted. "I think you'll be fine."

They shared their dinner with a relaxed air about them. The night was quiet as Adrien poured his Lady a glass of champagne, and he grinned as he held up his flute to signal a toast. "To us," he said. "For taking the next step in our lives."

Ladybug gave a soft laugh in response. She clinked her glass against his own. "To us.  _Bien joue_ , kitty."

" _Bien joue."_ Adrien took a sip of his drink. It bubbled pleasantly against his mouth. "Three days."

Ladybug's face was full of light. "Three days."

As he watched his partner's ever-so pink lips brush the edge of the cup, Adrien's heart fluttered in his chest. What he'd give to be able to kiss her when she was like this: bathed in moonlight with a sleepy sheen to her eyes, which sparkled underneath the faint yellow glow of the string lights that were hung so delicately above them. He smiled when Ladybug took a sip of the drink and his heart swelled when she—his beautiful,  _beautiful_  Lady—rubbed at her heavy eyes with a sigh so sweet that Adrien wanted to capture it with his lips.

He could feel himself falling into a pit. Falling, falling,  _falling_  without ever a hope of clawing his way back up. But he wasn't afraid of that. If he fell into the amazing pool that was Ladybug, there'd be no reason to come out. If Ladybug was his fate, then, well… So be it. It would be the gentlest demise he could imagine and he would welcome it—welcome her—with open arms.

"Chat?"

Adrien blinked in surprise as he came out of his stupor. Ladybug was looking at him with a sly grin on her face. He smirked in response. "What?"

"What'cha thinkin' about?" she asked, and the way she placed her head in her palms with such an endearing expression made Adrien shiver.

He could do nothing but offer a shrug in response. His gaze fell to his food. "Definitely not a pretty girl."

"Sure," Ladybug chuckled. She gave his boot a gentle nudge underneath the table. "Let's go with that."

A silence fell over them. It was as calm as it was short, and as their food was finished and most of the bottle of champagne drained, Adrien was finding himself feeling freer and looser, allowing his body to relax into the back of the chair with his stomach full and mind at ease. Across from him, Ladybug was slumping in her seat. Her fringe hung in front of her eyes—which were closed—and her cheek rested against her knuckles, arm propped atop the back of the chair and legs spread in an exhausted (if unladylike) position.

Adrien didn't mind, though. He'd seen Ladybug at her worst and this was far from it.

Welp. By the looks of it, it was time to go home.

There would be more nights to spend with her in the future. In three days, to be exact. Within a mere seventy-two hours, he and Ladybug would be piling boxes of their belongings into their apartment, in their own rooms, where they'd live their lives for the next one, two, five or seven years or even  _more_  depending on where life took them.

Heck. Maybe they'd stay there together eternally.

Which… Was a ridiculous thought, really. Because, well, Ladybug had a life and so did he, and if they happened to come across a career opportunity and had to move or fell in love with someone else (although Adrien doubted he would ever fall for someone other than his Lady) there would be hitches in that idea. Big hitches. Like, instead of hitches, there'd be gashes because the idea was so stupid and so absurd that there was no  _way_  either of them would end up staying in that tiny apartment forever, right?

(And, even if his dream did come true where he and Ladybug married and had a family and knew each other beneath the masks, they would move to a bigger home eventually, where they would have enough rooms for at least two children and plenty of land for their kids to play in, and perhaps some space for a few cats. But that all would depend on what his Lady wanted.)

Feeling his eyes begin to droop, Adrien caught himself before his head smacked against the table.

Ladybug's laughter came from across him. "I almost just witnessed a casualty."

Through a yawn, Adrien said, "If I died here, you'd be the one cleaning up the mess."

"Psshh." She gave a nonchalant wave of her hand. "I could just Lucky Charm you back to the living. I'm sure I could bend the rules to somehow bring a fellow Miraculous user back from the dead. Tikki could make that work with some type of weird magic shit."

Adrien chuckled. "Wow, my Lady is so talented. Not only is she a famed superhero with awesome powers and devastating good looks, she's also a modern necromancer."

Crossing her legs with a confident grin, Ladybug nodded. "You know it, Chat Noir."

"What if I came back all gross, though? Like, as a rotting cat-zombie." Adrien rested his elbows on the table as he breathed out a laugh. "Like my tail and ears are fused to my head and I have no hair and my hands have fallen off."

"That's okay," Ladybug said. "I'll still live with you so long as you promise not to sneak into my room at night and gnaw on my leg or something. I need legs."

"Fair point."

Ladybug stretched her arms high above her head and sat up straight, piling the trash from their dinner into the brown paper bag the food had come in. Fixing her ponytail, she adjusted her position so she was more comfortable before sitting criss-cross on the seat. "Okay," she said matter-of-factly. "Time to get serious for a moment: I've got everything besides my mattress and like, two pairs of clothes packed. I wanted to let you know that I  _do_  have some outfits for us to wear and the masks are ready. So I can give those to you on Tuesday."

"Tuesday," Adrien sighed, his heart beating fast and face warming with excitement, "Tuesday is moving day. Wow. It all feels so fast, but like… A good fast, you know?"

Ladybug nodded. "I do."

They gazed at each other for a moment too long to be completely platonic. Adrien allowed himself to relish in that thought, just for a little bit.

"I'm happy we're doing this," he confessed. "I mean, really. I couldn't imagine myself comfortably living with anyone other than you. I mean, realistically, you're like… My best friend. And I'm really excited to live with you. And I know things are going to be hard and we're going to have some difficult times and may even get tired of seeing each other so much but like… I'm okay with that. I'm okay with us figuring our shit out together and being able to hang out without worrying about our Miraculous running out or an akuma kicking our ass or waiting on patrols just to see each other."

"We don't even patrol," Ladybug laughed. "That's our clever cover-up for chilling together."

"I know," Adrien chuckled, laying a hand on his Lady's, "but I'm serious. I'm really glad we're taking this step together and I'm… I'm happy to know you, okay? I'm glad I know you."

He felt slightly awkward spilling his guts like that, but it was the truth. He loved Ladybug and he loved that they were going to be sharing the same space and learning about each other more than they had ever imagined.

While it was true that Nino was his best friend, Ladybug was… Different. A good different.

"You're such a sap when you've been drinking," Ladybug chuckled. She squeezed his hand within her own and Adrien  _melted_.

"I know," he said, fully admitting to it. "I can't help it though, Buginette. You make me feel stuff."

"'Stuff?'" she asked.

Adrien offered a simple shrug. His cheeks heated to an uncomfortable redness. "Stuff."

Patting his hand, Ladybug smiled, her face bright and eyes full of somethingso warm and soft that Adrien felt like he could just die. "You're a silly one, minou."

He grinned.  _But I'm_ your  _silly minou._

Oh, if only Ladybug knew what kind of "stuff" he  _really_ felt for her…

"I think it's time we both went to bed," Ladybug said. Adrien mourned the loss of contact when she pulled her hand away and stood up from her chair. "You've been such a sweetheart tonight, Chat. Thank you for dinner, I…" Her face grew pink as she smiled. "I appreciate it more than you know."

Adrien rested his head on his forearms. "I appreciate  _you_  more than you know."

Ladybug gave a playful roll of her eyes, but he didn't miss the way her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.

"Goodnight, Chat Noir," she said with a final finger-brush to his nose, "I'll see you Tuesday morning, bright and early."

Breathing in deeply, Adrien brushed his fingers over her own before ever-so-gently grasping her hand and placing a loving kiss on her knuckles. The fabric of her suit felt smooth underneath his lips and cool against his skin. He smiled against her and practically swooned at how she reached up to comb her fingers through his hair in such a soft,  _wonderful_  motion before producing her yo-yo and giving him a wave.

"Tuesday, kitty."

Adrien winked. "Tuesday."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case you're wondering what the apartment looks like, [i've compiled together an imgur album!](https://imgur.com/a/bXXlw)
> 
> https://imgur.com/a/bXXlw (and in case anyone is wondering, the apartment is €1800 a month)


	10. A Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir finally move into their apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hi yeah i know it's been over two months since i last updated but shhhhhhhhh
> 
> i went through a really shitty writers block and got a new job that's been kickin my ass and ive also been looking to move out myself, so i've been really busy lately!! buT HEY!! THIS CHAPTER IS WHAT YOU'VE BEEN WAITIN FOR here we go they movin in hell yeah dude hell yeah
> 
> im so tired
> 
> ANYWAY i gotta thank my girl [@fluffnflight](http://fluffnflight.tumblr.com) for being such an awesome beta!!!! she's a sweetheart and also a great artist if you like ml and homestuck and furries, go check her out on tumblr!
> 
> [oh btw if you want a reference of what their apartment sorta looks like (it's not exact lol) here's some images i threw together](https://imgur.com/a/bXXlw)
> 
> here you go now enjoy your 10k words of ladynoir

Moving day was upon them before Marinette could blink.

She woke bright and early that Tuesday morning with a skip in her step and excitement brewing in her chest, her heart beating a tad faster than its normal pace and her head swimming with thought after thought. Already having all of her boxes packed, Marinette joined her parents for breakfast, thankful they kept the conversation short as she was eager to get started. It wasn't every day she moved out of her childhood home, after all. She was anxiously awaiting meeting her partner and settling their new place.

Once she'd finished her meal and helped her family clean, she snuck Tikki a couple cookies from their pantry into her pocket and returned upstairs to change out of her pajamas. She decided to slip on a red sweater and a pair of black leggings as an ode to her alter-ego, all the while trying not to let the nerves eat at her brain. Sure, Marinette was excited beyond belief to finally be moving out of her home, but she was also  _terrified._

She had been looking forward to this for weeks—no, months—and couldn't wait another minute until she and Chat Noir were finally situated in their apartment. There would be no more rushing around to find each other during akuma attacks, or being unable to talk to each other whenever they wanted. They wouldn't have to worry about whether or not the other was okay or wonder about what they were up to and, most importantly, they could spend time with each other  _outside_  of the super-suits, doing whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted to.

Things would be different now. A good different.

Marinette's hands began to tremble as she resealed one of the cardboard boxes that hadn't stuck shut. Picking up the black marker at her side, she labeled it as "stuffed animals" before moving along to the next one.

"I'm kind of nervous," she said to Tikki, stacking the plethora of boxes that sat scattered across her bedroom floor into neat, organized piles. "But I'm also super, super excited. Is that weird? To be nervous and excited at the same time? What would that emotion even be called?"

Tikki laughed at her holder's choice of words. "That's normal, Marinette. Every person is bound to feel a little weird when they're about to move to a new place."

"Is it wrong that I feel a little sad, too?" asked Marinette. She sighed as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail with a red ribbon wrapped around the band. "Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy to be moving in with one of my best friends, but..."

Tikki frowned. "But...?"

"But this is my childhood home," Marinette finished, gesturing around her sunshine-dappled room as she sat on her floor, writing the words "our clothes" onto the special box she planned to open with Chat Noir later. "I've lived here all my life. I'm feeling a little bad about leaving it."

"Oh, that's natural," Tikki replied, a comforting tone in her high-pitched voice. She flitted over to sit on Marinette's shoulder, smiling reassuringly as rays of light beamed through her bedroom windows and washed the wooden panels of her floor with a golden-brown hue. "Of course you're going to feel a little sad. Leaving the house you grew up in to move somewhere else will always come with a melancholy feeling, Marinette. So long as you're not having second thoughts, I think you'll be just fine."

Marinette cocked her head to the side as she considered Tikki's words. After a moment, she nodded, reaching up to scratch under her kwami's chin with a thankful grin. Tikki was right; it would be weird if she  _wasn't_  feeling a tad dejected over the thought of leaving her parents behind, even if she was only going to be living twelve minutes away.

It would be odd to wake up and not be met with the delicious aroma of bread baking in the morning, and Marinette knew she would come to miss the sound of her mother humming songs in her native language as she cooked dinner. But, even though the small things she had learned to adore about her home would be gone from her daily life, Marinette knew it was time to move on. Besides, the details that she loved about her house would always be with her, and the fact that her parents loved her dearly would remain in her heart forever—even if she wasn't residing in the same house as them anymore.

Anyway, it wasn't like she couldn't visit her family. Marinette knew she could always go back to her first home to receive one of her father's bear hugs that were bone-crushingly sweet, and she would always be welcome to help her mother do laundry or water the flowers that she kept on her terrace. Just because she was moving away didn't mean she was  _going_  away. She would always be there.

"Thanks, Tikki," Marinette said after a long moment. "You're the best."

Tikki's responding giggle reminded her of a happy wind-chime.

As she went downstairs for the second time that morning, Marinette found her mother rifling through the fridge, mumbling some string of words Marinette couldn't quite pick up. It looked like she was searching for something important; had she run out of an ingredient in the bakery and needed to borrow one from their personal fridge for a last-minute order?

"Whatcha looking for, maman?" Marinette asked. She leaned down behind her mother to peer into the fridge.

Sabine turned with a rosy grin on her cheeks, her voice soft as she said, "Oh, nothing. Just a little surprise your father and I whipped up for you and Adrien after you went to bed last night."

Confusion was evident on Marinette's face. She frowned quizzically at her mother's laughter. "Maman, no, you didn't have to make me anything!"

(Especially since she wasn't  _really_  moving in with Adrien!)

"I know," Sabine replied. She pulled out a white box from the back of the fridge, which was adorned by a gold trim with the bakery's logo decorating the sides. Her grin was proud as she placed it on the kitchen island. "But we wanted to give you and Adrien a little gift since you're moving into your place today. Go ahead," she said, giving Marinette an encouraging tap on the small of her back, "open it."

Pooching her lips in a sign that  _her parents really didn't have to be so nice and do this for them, oh my goodness,_  Marinette placed her pink-painted fingernails on the sides of the box before lifting the top—ever so gently—and gasping at the sight that sat before her, spotted with strawberries and smelling absolutely  _divine._

"Maman!" Marinette cried, her lips cracking into a wide, jubilated smile. "Oh, mom, you didn't have to- this is so- I can't believe you guys did this for us!"

It had to have been the prettiest strawberry shortcake she'd ever laid her eyes on. The bottom was a deliciously-golden looking sponge that was layered with strawberries and vanilla buttercream, following two small tiers of whole strawberries (the tips cut off, of course) with hard balls of white chocolate atop each tip of the berries. Holding an array of strawberries cut to look like roses was a thin, circular plate of white chocolate, and in the center lay a creamy strawberry frosting, just waiting to be devoured. Instinctively, Marinette licked her lips and her mouth watered _._

Chat Noir was going to be over the  _moon_ when he saw this, she knew that for sure. She would probably have to hide it in the back of their fridge just to make sure her partner didn't eat the whole damn thing by himself!

(Thankfully, Marinette noted, her mother hadn't written a personal message on top of the cake. No "Good luck Marinette and Adrien!" or, "We love you Marinette!" lie on its surface, which she was secretly grateful for. It would have surely made sharing the cake with Chat Noir awkward and, much to her digression, pose some questions she didn't exactly feel like answering.)

"Mommm," Marinette sighed, squeezing her mother in the tightest hug she could manage without hurting her. "You guys outdid yourselves, really. This is awesome."

Sabine chuckled. "We only make the best for our little girl."

Placing a kiss to her mother's fringe, Marinette squeezed her once more before letting go, reaching over to the holder on the wall and grabbing the keys to her brand-new apartment. "Thanks so much. I'll drop by to pick it up later after we get everything moved in."

"Are you  _sure_  you don't need help?" Sabine asked, concern lacing her tone. "I know you're capable, honey, but I just want to make sure you two can lift all that heavy furniture on your own. You know your father and I are more than willing to take the day off and—"

"I know, maman." Marinette smiled at her mother. "But Ch- uh, Adrien and I can handle it. You know I'm stronger than I look. Remember how I lifted that hundred-kilo bag of flour the other day?"

Sabine chuckled. "I remember, dear."

Flexing (if only to show off just a little), Marinette patted her arm and grinned proudly. "We've got this."

And she knew they did. She and Chat Noir were more than prepared to move all of their items into the apartment on their own, especially since they had agreed they would do the move transformed, thankful that the suits granted an extra bout of strength they could use to their advantage.

So, after her mother had returned to help her father downstairs in the bakery, Marinette slipped on the handmade Ladybug mask she'd fashioned a week prior and grinned as she looked herself over in her bathroom mirror. She looked like herself, of course, but there was an added flair that made her feel as if she was wearing the suit instead of her regular clothes. By the outfit she'd chosen and the way she'd wore her hair, she was sure Chat Noir wouldn't recognize her as anyone other than Ladybug, not even for a second.

(At least, she hoped with every fibre in her being. That was the whole point of the disguises, anyway.)

Marinette breathed in slowly as she stepped into the stairway of her childhood home. Her fingertips brushed the tips of the doorknob that led to the city outside. Mentally counting to three, she placed a hand to her chest to steady the heavy beating of her heart and flashed Tikki a smile as the kwami hovered by the door.

"Ready to take the next step in our lives, Tikki?" she asked.

Tikki offered a warm smile in return. "Always, Marinette."

With a newfound confidence, Marinette pushed her hair back to reveal her earrings. "Transform me."

* * *

Adrien was the first to arrive.

 _Of course you're the first,_ he thought bitterly as he stood in the empty living room of the apartment all suited up and ready,  _you're too early. You weren't supposed to get here until eight._

The time on his baton read six-fifty A.M. Adrien shrugged to himself as he gave their place a good look-around.

Bright, early morning sunshine streamed in through the large windows of the room and splashed across the hardwood floor, washing the entrance of the apartment in a faint yellow glow. It traveled into the kitchen, where an oven and microwave were installed in the wall above a dishwasher next to the black counter-top, where the stove and sink were located. At least those came pre-installed. The same couldn't be said about a washer and a dryer, but Adrien was thankful there was a laundromat not even a five minute walk from their complex.

As he wandered down the hall and into the room that was to be his own, he smiled to himself. It was drastically smaller than what he was used to—though any room would be compared to his old one, really—but he liked it. It was comfortable; cozy, even. The floor was the same wood as the hall, and across from the white walls was a large, floor-to-ceiling mirror that reflected the rest of the room back to him, including the light from the window that bounced off its sheen. There was enough room in the corner for his desk, and as he glanced around, he envisioned where his bookshelf and bed would go, as well as his posters and trophy collection.

Man. It sure did feel nice to have a place of his own.

He checked out the bathroom after he'd briefly glanced into the room that was Ladybug's (which was full of light and warmth and all things  _her_  even if she hadn't moved anything into it yet.) The bathroom was small but quaint. With white tiled walls and a bath that doubled as a shower, Adrien ran his clawed fingers lightly down the glass doors, smiling at how smooth it felt underneath the texture of his gloves. The sink was across the shower, and directly next to the bathroom was the toilet in its own separate space, which made Adrien glad. He had never liked the idea of the toilet being in the same room as the shower.

Briefly pausing in the hallway to check the time, Adrien smiled sheepishly to himself as the clock just struck seven, reaching behind his head with his other hand to scratch at the back of his neck in a self-conscious manner. Okay, so he had showed up a little  _too_  early. His enthusiasm was the one to blame for that.

(A tiny part of him was saddened that Ladybug hadn't shown up early as well. This was their shared home, after all. He didn't care for the idea of starting the move-in without her.)

It was with a mixture of a sigh and a yawn that he stepped out onto the balcony, the sliding glass door located right next to the kitchen. A cool breeze greeted Adrien as he shut the door behind him, resting his forearms along the dark iron railing as he approached the edge. They were on the highest floor, and he liked it that way. The less people that could spy on them, the happier he and Ladybug were bound to be.

The sky was a wonderful blue as the sun finished its ascent. Puffy white clouds rolled across the open air, not a spot of gray to be seen in the ocean of the world above. Adrien smiled to himself. As he glanced around the balcony, he could envision Ladybug forming a makeshift garden out here with potted plants sitting all around—perhaps she'd even hang a few inside to give their place a more homey feel. He wouldn't mind in the slightest.

Back inside, Adrien opened his baton to check the time once again, his brow furrowing as the numbers reminded him that it was only 7:06. Embarrassed by his own eagerness, he shoved his baton back onto its holder on his belt and let out a long sigh in an attempt to calm his jitters. His nerves were catching up to him again, as they had kept him awake all night; he'd barely slept a wink due to the twitching of his fingers in anticipation as well as the frantic muddle of his thoughts.

The excitement was one thing. Often,thoughts of Ladybug and himself sharing the same space filled Adrien's head, fantasies of the two of them cooking dinner together or relaxing on the couch after a hard day cuddled up and watching a movie becoming commonplace in the middle of his work days. He usually found himself a puddle of happy, lovesick goo once lunch rolled around (much to his own chagrin) and as he attempted to get some rest in his bed at night, the hurried beating of his heart caused his mind to race with all the wonderful, sappy little romantic ideas that kept him reeling with sheer affection for his Lady.

Oh, he loved her. He loved her so much and she didn't even  _know._

But, as Adrien stood there in the middle of their living room ( _their_ living room!) bathed in early morning sunlight, he frowned. It was an odd thing—to frown at such a joyous time—but he did. His lips curled downwards into a small, concerned glower, his eyebrows scrunched together as he mulled over what  _exact_  emotion he was feeling at the moment.

He wasn't upset about anything, no. But he was worried.

While it was true there were a lot of positives to moving in with his partner and best friend, Adrien knew there would be some consequences that came along with their shared living space. Something was bound to go wrong. He couldn't help but dwell on the possibilities of what was to come, if seeing each other so often would cause them to fight more, or worse—taint their partnership.

He doubted anything of that nature would happen, as he seldom saw any two people who were as close as they happened to be. But still, the potential of anything going wrong—even something small—ate at his nerves and made his brain race with hundreds of feelings at once.

He was happy, of course. But that didn't mean he wasn't scared as well.

A trickle of anxiety gnawed faintly at Adrien's stomach as he rode the elevator down to the ground floor walked out into the open air of the complex. He ignored the confused gawking of passersby, instead opting to open up the back of the small moving van he'd had his bodyguard drive over thirty minutes earlier, feeling thankful that he had left him to his privacy. Though the civilians on the street were few due to the early hour, Adrien still felt a little awkward having people stare at him as he heaved four boxes into his arms and carried them inside the building.

Adrien sighed as he stepped back into the elevator and pressed the button for the sixth floor. Oh, boy. He and Ladybug really needed a better plan, didn't they?

(Unfortunately, this was the only one they really had.)

So, they would get a few people looking at them weird. So what? They could make up an easily-believable lie—even if his Lady hated to tell fibs. Desperate times called for desperate measures, right?

Adrien began setting box after box in a neat stack in his bedroom, which sat empty for the time being. The quiet of the morning hour was peaceful, yet it felt a little odd to him to be loading boxes into an empty apartment in complete silence, so he decided to remove his baton from his back and turn on some energetic music to get himself awake and ready for the day. He left it on the kitchen counter before getting back to work, but as he opened the front door—

—he bumped into red-and-black polka-dots, his brain on autopilot as he quickly scooped up the boxes she had dropped before they collided with the floor.

"Well, good morning!" came the voice Adrien had grown to love so much, her tone bright and cheery and absolutely  _wonderful_. "I didn't expect to see you here so early."

Heaving the heavy boxes into his arms (what the hell was  _inside_ of these?!), Adrien offered Ladybug a wide grin. "Yeah, well, I guess I was a little too excited to wait. I woke up at six this morning and wanted to get started right away."

If he hadn't been holding the boxes, he would've fallen into his old habit of scratching behind his neck.

"Understandable," Ladybug chuckled, taking one of the boxes from him to lighten his load. She led him past the kitchen and down the hall into her bedroom, where she set the box on the floor with a loud thud and a blinding smile. "I had a hard time sleeping last night, too. I kept thinking about how hopefully by the end of the night we'll be settled in and I got really happy."

"It's a good feeling." Adrien set the other two boxes on the floor. He placed his hands on his hips, grinning down at Ladybug as she pushed back the curtains in front of her window to gaze out at the city below. "Admiring the view?"

Ladybug shook her head. She gestured with her hand for him to come closer. "No. There's people down there staring at the moving trucks and pointing. They saw me when I was down there getting my things, so I don't doubt a crowd will start forming soon."

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Adrien saw for himself that six stories below, people were beginning to band together on the sidewalk. They pointed up at the complex, waving their arms and talking amongst themselves excitedly, most likely about the fact that they'd seen both Ladybug and Chat Noir moving things from trucks inside of the apartment complex. He slapped a hand to his forehead with a groan.

Ladybug turned to him, concern sparkling in her eyes. "How are we going to get out of this one, kitty?"

Tapping a clawed finger to his chin, Adrien pondered for a moment before he snapped his fingers, an idea striking his mind. "I've got it. It's a simple solution. Let's just go back down there and get some more things and you follow my lead, okay?"

Shaking her head with a smile, Ladybug followed without question.

The confused stares of those in the lobby as it became later in the morning made Adrien want to laugh. As he and Ladybug came out of the elevator and ventured out to the moving trucks, they were met by face after face, people shoving past one another to get close enough to see what was going on. He and Ladybug attempted to push past the people that were surrounding the trucks, but it was to no avail, as cameras and microphones were immediately shoved right into their personal space.

"Ladybug, Chat Noir!" a reporter called. "Can you tell us why it looks like you're moving into this very apartment complex?"

Ladybug shot him a concerned look, but Adrien regarded her with nothing more than a wink. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as he shrugged, telling the reporter, "Simple! We're helping an elderly couple move their things into their new home. You see, they're old and weakened, so they can't lift these heavy things on their own. Ladybug and I, however," he continued, pulling her flush against his side, "we're stronger than normal people, so we're simply moving their stuff in for them so they don't have to exert themselves. Right, Buginette?"

It took his partner a few seconds to come to terms with what he'd said, but after a moment she squeaked out, "O-of course!" Her voice rose an octave. "That is the total truth! Haha, very true. We, um- we're nice. Like that."

He found it hard to suppress his laughter at how terrible of a liar she was. It was quite the convincing tall-tale, if he did say so himself. But still, how Ladybug stuttered her way through that sentence only had him thinking about how damn adorable she was.

The reporters were appeased by his explanation and a couple of praises were thrown here and there, but for the most part they didn't go away. Even as he and Ladybug continued their move-in process, they stuck around, taking photo after photo and filming a plethora of videos that were all entirely unnecessary. It was a tad exhausting to have to lift his couch through a crowd of people with expensive (and very breakable) equipment, but they managed. By the time lunch rolled around, most of them had cleared out, but a few still remained. They were easily ignored, though, which Adrien was grateful for.

The moving process definitely wasn't a short one. From dawn to dusk they worked, heaving box after box, desk after couch after bed after table and chair and everything else within their trucks until they were vacant. Their living room was full of boxes by the time the two of them were finished; Adrien was sure it was going to take him until the next day or more to finish unpacking everything.

For a while he and Ladybug worked separately in their rooms unpacking their things. They put on some music to keep the sound flowing between their rooms, which were directly across from each other, so they could occasionally glance over and see what their partner was up to.

Adrien would throw a joke over his shoulder every now and then. He relished in the sound of Ladybug's laughter and how the sunlight danced off of her smile.

He was happy. Adrien was really, truly happy for the first time in a while. They were doing their own thing, setting up their respective items and making their beds in separate rooms, but things were good. Their doors were open, the other was there to keep them company, and life was right.

Things were going to be looking up from now on. He had no doubt about that.

* * *

Adrien heaved a heavy sigh as he flopped onto the couch—his old white one from his bedroom—and felt his bones practically melt into the soft fabric. Ugh,  _man._ He'd never felt so exhausted in his  _life._

With aching arms, he lifted a hand to brush his bangs out of his face, which were messy and unkempt from how much work he and Ladybug had completed that day. Not only had they moved all of their boxes from both of their respective trucks, but also helped each other move all of their furniture, from beds to bookcases and dressers and desks and- and  _everything._

As Ladybug plopped down on the couch next to him, Adrien shot her a grin and blinked his eyes at her, which drooped wearily. She looked really cute sitting there with her arms on the back of the couch and head propped up on the cushion, her own eyes falling closed from the sheer amount of work she had done. Her eyelashes brushed her cheeks as she blinked. From sitting in front of the sun most of the day, the light had certainly brought out her freckles. They dusted her skin from the edge of her mask to the tip of her nose; Adrien had to resist the urge to reach out and kiss them.

"Hey," he said, voice soft from how drowsy he felt.

Ladybug smiled in return. "Hey."

Reaching to pat her on the shoulder, Adrien said, "I think we did a good job, huh?"

"You're telling me," Ladybug replied. She turned her head to him with a grin. "I don't think I've ever worked that hard before. Why did we decide to do this all in one day, again?"

Adrien shrugged. "To get it over and done with?"

Snorting a laugh, his partner shook her head as she shifted her attention to the flat-screen TV that sat on the stand in front of them, just behind the coffee table. She motioned towards it with her foot. "Should we set this thing up?"

Humming noncommittally, Adrien adjusted his position on the couch so he was more comfortable, his hands behind his head as he lowered himself deeper into the cushions. "Nah," he said with a brief wave of his hand, "we'll worry about that later. Actually, I'd love some food right about now. How about you, 'Bug?"

Ladybug's stomach growled in reply. She placed a hand to her abdomen with a laugh. "I think you just got your answer."

Grinning as an idea popped into his mind, Adrien offered, "Takeout?"

"You read my mind, kitty."

It was interesting to see his partner ordering Chinese food over her phone. From the way she spoke to how her perfectly pink (and  _kissable_ , if he was thinking of other suitable adjectives) lips curved upward into a smile when their order was placed, she was adorable; like a kitten that had received a new toy; like a beautiful girl who was given the key to the world. But, no, it was just Chinese food. And boy did they both  _love_  Chinese takeout.

Kicking his feet up on the coffee table as he waited for Ladybug to finish the call—he had ordered a sesame chicken platter and he couldn't  _wait_  for it to arrive—he grabbed the remote that sat next to him on the couch, automatically going to turn the TV on but smiling sheepishly at himself as he remembered that it hadn't even been hooked up yet. Ah, well. That was a problem for Future-Chat. Present-Chat just wanted to sit back, relax, and eat some damn good food.

"Food will be here in thirty to forty minutes," Ladybug said, fingers gliding through his hair as she walked behind him. Adrien grinned in response, attempting to reach up to playfully grab her wrist, but she pulled away before he could manage with nothing to offer but a giggle, "Stop."

"Where are you going?" Adrien asked as he watched his partner continue walking down the hallway, his vision upside down since he'd tilted his head off of the back of the couch.

(He didn't look at the way her ponytail swished with her every move, and he didn't imagine himself combing through the dark strands with his clawed hands. He  _didn't_  think about how the laugh that rose from her—that gorgeous, delicious laugh—sounded so divine as she disappeared into her bedroom. He absolutely did not even  _wonder_  about how nice it would be for her to come back and sit next to him and smother his lips with kisses. No, not at all…)

He didn't realize he had closed his eyes until they snapped open from the sound of something hitting the coffee table. Moving his feet, Adrien sat up straight and examined the box, cocking his head to the side as he read what was written across the cardboard in thick, black sharpie.

"Our clothes?" he asked. He met Ladybug's eyes with a confused blink.

She nodded in confirmation. "Mm-hm."

Using her keys, she cut through the tape and opened the box, proceeding to pull out a couple of specially-made garments. In her hands she held up a black T-shirt with a picture of a bell at the collar—one that looked exactly like the bell he wore with his suit. There were pockets on the front, too, which would be useful, and the fabric looked exceptionally soft. Adrien couldn't help but gasp as he reached out to grab it.

"You made this?" he breathed, gaze sparkling in amazement. "No way! No way. This is so cool! I mean, I know you said you've designed stuff before, but I didn't know you were like…  _This_  good." He turned the shirt around in his hands, laughing as he noticed that there was a design of his baton on the back of his shirt, just like where the real one would be. "Oh, wow. You've outdone yourself, my Lady."

"Oh, hush," Ladybug chuckled. She set a folded stack of black-and-green clothing in his lap. "It was nothing. This way we can wear casual clothes around the house and not have to worry about revealing ourselves to each other. It just makes things easier on both of us. See?"

She held up a red-and-black spotted halter top, and Adrien nearly blushed at how adorable he imagined it would look on her. He instinctively buried his head in his hands.

"You're gonna kill me," he said. "You're too nice to me, 'Bug."

Ladybug laughed. She placed her shirt back in the box. "I think I'm a reasonable amount of nice to you."

"Lies," Adrien countered playfully. He held up the shirt again to inspect it a second time. "Can I go put this on?"

At first, she nodded. Then she froze, her eyes widening a fraction before they met his, and a single, silent message was passed between them, floating through the air until it registered in their brains at the exact same moment.

"Do you-" they began in unison. They shared a laugh before trying again. "Should we- Sorry."

Their laughter was nervous that time.

"We're going to have to at some point," Ladybug said, avoiding his gaze as she closed the box back up. Her fingers fiddled with the end of her keys, which had a plastic Ladybug at the end of the chain. It made Adrien smile.

"We could right now," he replied. Pushing himself to a stand, Adrien enveloped her gloved hand in his own. Even through the fabric of her suit, it was so soft. He wondered what it would be like to be able to brush their bare fingers together, or to see her out of the suit with normal clothes and hair and  _skin_  all while she wore her signature mask.

His tail swished nervously at his ankles. He wanted that. He wanted that more than anything.

"...Might as well do it now," he finished, looking up from the way his thumb rubbed her knuckles to her blue, blue eyes. "No time better than the present, right?"

Ladybug laughed softly. "Right."

"Right…"

They both swallowed. Then took a breath. Then broke out into a fit of giggles.

Laughing with Ladybug felt so  _nice._  It felt so right and so pure and so- so  _them_. Here they were, beating around the bush of what they needed to do in front of each other, acting like two school kids who were too afraid to ask the other out on a date.

Traffic rolled down the street below outside, and as Adrien glanced out the windows (which had their curtains parted) he took note that the sun was beginning to set. They'd spent all day moving heavy furniture and boxes and unpacking what they could, only pausing once for himself to run out to a deli and get them some lunch. Their Tuesday had been full of grueling work. Adrien knew they both deserved to spend a night relaxed and comfortable, not stuck in tight, form-fitting supersuits.

A pink glow filled their living room— _their_  living room—and wrapped the pair in warm, peaceful ribbons of setting sunlight. The sky outside was a mix of oranges and yellows and reds, and they both watched in silence as the lights of the Eiffel Tower flickered on, flashing the street in a splash of muted gold.

Ladybug's voice caused him to look up. Whatever she had said, Adrien wasn't sure; he was more captivated by the fact that the way the sun shone off of the windows and caused her eyes to sparkle like flakes of opal, and her scarlet suit practically beamed color across the room. Dark shadows were beginning to stretch along the wooden flooring. Paris was definitely beginning to settle down for the night—at least in their apartment, it was.

He was momentarily glad that they were so high up that it would be hard for anyone to see them from down below.

"Sorry," he said after remembering that  _Ladybug had spoken to him_ , shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "What did you say?"

Snickering behind her hand, Ladybug repeated, "I said, it's getting late."

Adrien nodded. "Yeah," he said breathlessly.

"Our kwamis are probably tired," she continued. She gave him a knowing look. "And they might want to eat by now…"

"Uh-huh," Adrien said.

"Chat Noir." Ladybug buried her face in her palm as she laughed. "We should destransform. I'm wearing my mask underneath my suit, are you?"

"Oh!" Reaching behind his head to scratch at his neck, Adrien nodded furiously, a sheepish chuckle rising from his lips. "Oh, yes, of course! Yes. I'm good. I'm ready. Just, um-" he took a step back to put enough space between them, but in his haste ended up tripping over his own tail, stumbling backwards until he fell onto his rear with a slight thud. "Ow."

Ladybug simply shook her head before pulling him to a stand. "You're silly."

Adrien smirked in amusement. "You call me falling on my ass 'silly?'"

"Most things you do are," she replied with a wink for good measure. "Now stop delaying this and lose your transformation with me before we both chicken out and pay the delivery man wearing our suits."

"Okay, okay." Grinning, Adrien stood with his hands at his sides, breathing in and out slowly. He wasn't sure why, but he found himself letting his eyes slide closed, hands forming into fists and fingernails digging into his gloves just from the sheer nerves he felt about the whole situation. They'd never detransformed in front of each other before. Sure, he'd dreamed about it a hell of a lot, but most days he knew it wouldn't happen… They had a duty to the city, after all…. But still, he did find himself wishing.

And now that wish was coming true.

Swallowing thickly, Adrien murmured, "I'm ready."

"Me, too."

A beat of silence passed between them. Mustering all of his courage, Adrien stood up straight, taking in a breath before he said, "Plagg, destransform me."

He felt the familiar fizzle of his transformation receding, the tell-tale flash of green light seeping through his closed eyelids and wrapping around his form before fading the second it appeared, leaving him as Adrien instead of Chat Noir, without his suit and any sort of protection. Which was okay. Because this was Ladybug and he  _trusted_  her and he would give her his all any day of the year if she wanted him to.

A small gasp rose from in front of him, but he kept his eyes closed. It only took another moment for Ladybug to say her own detransformation phrase, and from that point on, Adrien knew things were going to be different.

A very  _good_  different.

"You can open your eyes now," Ladybug said. "It's just me."

" _It's just me"_  she said, as if she was "just herself" and not an amazing, wonderful girl that he loved so much and had been waiting years to see the face of—

"I'd like some compensation for how much time you made me hold that transformation," Plagg spat, his outburst causing Adrien to snap open his eyes like shutters. "That was  _thirteen hours,_ Adri—"

Adrien swiped Plagg straight out of the air and shoved him right into his pocket before he could accidentally spill his civilian name out like some sort of micro-sized idiot. Stupid Plagg, nearly outing him like that! What was he thinking? Was he even thinking at all?

"You'll eat later," he hissed through gritted teeth, glaring at his pocket. He burned holes into his jeans with his stare for a moment or two so Plagg got the point, then finally,  _finally_  allowed himself to look up and see—

See— Ladybug— Oh. Oh. Ohhh  _no oh god oh goodness oh hell of holy_ fuck—

She was beautiful. Ethereal. Like a star that had fallen from the sky, or a ray of sunlight that had manifested into their home. ( _Their_  home. He'd never get tired of saying that.) She looked so- so radiant and lovely and he swore if she kept  _smiling_  at him like that he was going to become a puddle on the floor or- or  _worse,_  combust into flames!

"You…" he breathed, swallowing heavily. "You- you're so… so-"

So  _Ladybug._ With her hair pulled up high into a ponytail, thin black strands kissing the edges of her cheeks and her collarbone actually  _visible_  and her sweater so red and pants so black she looked like her but  _different,_  and it was such a wonderful different that Adrien almost felt like he wanted to cry or scream and hug her so tight that he'd never, ever want to let go.

(But perhaps he was overreacting just a tad. It was only Ladybug, after all. He'd known her for seven years and counting and they were best friends—no need to act so starstruck.)

He briefly wondered what she thought of him, wearing his black V-neck and blue jeans with his dark domino mask she'd made him. Part of him wanted her to think he was cute—attractive, even—but he knew that even if she did, she probably wouldn't voice that opinion out loud.

Instead, he blinked owlishly at her. What was he supposed to say?

"Hey," Ladybug giggled, solving his problem for him. She waved a hand—a  _bare hand_ —and blushed, ever so slightly.

"...Hey," he said back.

"You know," she said, stepping closer. "Your eyes, they look weird."

"Weird?"

"Yeah," she said. "I'm so used to them being completely green, but now they're just… White with green irises. And I like that."

Adrien gave a smile. His racing heart felt like it was about to jump right out of his chest. "I thought you said they were weird."

"Yeah," she said. "But a good weird."

She smiled, reaching out her hand slowly, tentatively, and grinned as their fingers— _bare fingers_ —brushed for the very first time without the suits on. Adrien's lips parted in a quiet gasp, the feel of her skin running along his own in light, gentle touches making his chest squeeze in on itself with some sort of hot feeling that made him go all "!" inside.

Their fingers entwined, and their bare hands connected. The heat of her skin permeated his own. It was in that moment Adrien knew he was truly home.

"You look cute," Adrien said. He glanced her up and down once more, excitement flaring in his stomach. His lips stretched into a wide smile as he saw a little red kwami poking its head out from behind Ladybug's shoulder. "This is so strange but so cool. I mean, look at you! You're in like,  _clothes._  I'm sorry, that's so weird to say, but it's true! You're- you still look like you, but… Different. You know?"

"I know what you mean," she said. "Your eyes and hair are different. Do you normally style it like this-" she paused to brush her fingers through his bangs, "-and transforming just makes it all go poof? And your eyes, they're so- pretty! And-" she placed a hand on his arm, giggling at how soft his skin felt and the feel of slight muscle underneath. "I like this."

Adrien laughed, "Me too."

Feeling like he was on top of the world, Adrien picked her up by the waist and spun her, laughing and smiling and knowing that everything was just right. They were home. They were with each other and they were  _home_  and happy and full of love and light and  _joy_  and wow, they were finally settled into their apartment!

Sure, they still had plenty of boxes to unpack and stuff to hook up and put away, and their place was completely devoid of food, but at the moment neither of them cared. They were  _happy_ , and that was all that mattered.

"Hellooo? I'm dying down here!" Plagg screeched from Adrien's pocket. "Please, Ladybug, get me some cheese. Your Chat Noir does not treat me with the respect that a god like myself deserves!"

Ugh. Plagg. Of course.

"Well, now, who is this?" Ladybug asked. She leaned down to get a good look at the tiny creature who flitted out from Adrien's pocket. "You're Plagg, right?"

Plagg nodded. His whiskers twitched with the movement. "Yes, that's right. I hope you don't mind the smell of Camembert because I expect it to be stored in every room of this place."

Shooting Adrien a sly grin, Ladybug stood up straight. "He's certainly demanding, isn't he?"

"And adorable!" Plagg added.

"Well, I can't disagree with that," Ladybug said, scratching under his chin with one of her pink-painted fingernails. Plagg (the little heathen that he was) lifted his head up and began to purr.

Adrien gave a playful roll of his eyes. "Don't inflate his ego."

Tikki, Adrien remembered, was the name of Ladybug's kwami. She was soft-spoken and sweet as he was introduced to her, which was the total opposite of Plagg, and her big blue eyes instantly stole Adrien's heart. Oh, she was so  _cute,_  just like her holder; he didn't know how Ladybug had never mentioned that before.

They sat on the couch to get to know each others kwamis, and not more than a few minutes after they'd gotten comfortable did their doorbell ring, reminding the pair that their food was hot and ready to be eaten. Ladybug answered the door and gave the delivery man a tip for his trouble, but as she closed the door, she let out a loud, amused laugh, returning to the couch with a wobbly grin on her face.

"What?" Adrien asked.

Ladybug snorted. "You should have seen that poor guy's face when he opened the door and saw me wearing this." She gestured to her mask. "He about shit himself. I was afraid he was going to drop our food."

He could picture it now: a seemingly nice delivery guy working the night shift delivering food and having a bland sort of evening, but as soon as he opened the door to what he thought would be another normal customer, was met face-to-face with  _Ladybug._  If that had happened to Adrien, he knew he'd be surprised, too.

"Now, I know we're excited to use our new kitchen table," Ladybug said as she began unpacking their food, "but I'm really just wanting to chill on the couch and watch some TV. But we never set that up, did we?"

Adrien looked to the TV and frowned, shaking his head. "Nope. Guess we're watching static."

"Aw," Ladybug said. But then an idea visibly struck her, and her eyes lit up like the Eiffel Tower itself. "C'mon," she said, motioning for him to follow her into her bedroom, and Adrien was thankful that she hadn't put up any personal photos or identifying items yet lest he unintentionally discover her identity the first night they spent together.

 _That_ would have been bad.

"Hold this," she said, shoving the food into his hands. Adrien gripped onto the brown paper bag so he wouldn't drop it.

He watched as Ladybug opened her bedroom window, her hair blowing slightly in the breeze that accompanied the outside air, and as soon as she slipped outside onto the fire escape, Adrien knew exactly what it was she wanted to do. He felt himself smile at her intention.

As she sat on one of the stairsteps, Ladybug leaned back and sighed at the sight in front of her. Adrien joined her two steps below. Once he handed Ladybug her food he leaned back, using her lap as a headrest—which she didn't mind—and began to eat, attention captivated by the view the height of their apartment granted them.

They were on the top floor of the complex, so a breathtaking sight before them was a given. Though they weren't directly across from the Eiffel Tower, it was still pretty damn close, which made the sight of the city all the more beautiful. Adrien had grown up in this city, yes. But he'd never be tired of how it looked at night.

Lights in a rainbow of colors danced across the skyline, from neon signs to billboards and cell-phone towers; the sky was decorated by planes and the tops of buildings, all windows lit and awake and so, so bright. The traffic below was endless, but even the red and yellow lights from the cars speeding by were nice to look at, even as the bright blue flash of a police car sped by, racing down the street with its siren blaring across the city.

"Wuh-oh," Adrien chuckled, swallowing his food before continuing. "Glad that's not our job."

He felt rather than saw Ladybug reach down to ruffle his hair. "You bet. I'm happy to just sit here right now and eat and not worry about a thing."

They watched the city in silence as they ate their food. It wasn't long before they both were finished, and as they moved their trash to the windowsill, they sat contentedly on the steps with the breeze blowing through their hair and the sound of the city beginning to lull them both to sleep from their state of relaxation.

"Man, I love this," Adrien sighed. He shut his eyes, relishing in the feeling of getting to lay out in the open air like this with his head in Ladybug's lap, her fingers combing delicately through his hair and causing him to practically purr from the sensation. "We gotta eat like this every night."

Ladybug chuckled. "Yeah, it's nice." Her hands travelled down to his shoulders, where they rubbed aimless circles into the fabric of his shirt. "I'm so glad there wasn't an akuma attack today. That would have really thrown us off of our groove."

"Yeah," Adrien yawned. Stretching his arms up, he grunted, allowing his muscles to completely relax. "I'm too tired to do like, anything else right now. I'd really love to watch a movie and go to bed early, actually."

"Me too," Ladybug said. "I don't think I even want to move."

The akuma alarm began to sound.

Adrien  _groaned._  "Are you kidding me!?"

* * *

Marinette was exhausted. Like,  _exhausted,_  exhausted. Pretty much "too tired to even move" exhausted.

As she and Chat Noir crawled back through her bedroom window, she immediately dropped her transformation and fell face-first onto her bed, which she was thankful she had made earlier in the day. Her bones felt achy and her arms were like taffy, worn and stretched beyond their normal use, and her legs felt like jello. When Chat Noir (who had just destransformed in front of her for the second time that night and looked so stupidly cute in his V-neck and jeans and hair all styled and  _ugh_ ) asked her if she was okay, she simply let out a faint, barely-audible grumble and reached blindly around her bed for her laptop.

"Watch a movie with me," she told him. It wasn't a request.

"TV isn't set up, 'Bug, remember?" he asked, but Marinette simply sat up and opened her computer, determined to reach peak relaxation before she drifted off and went back to work the next morning.

"I have Netflix on here," she said. "Go change into your pajamas and I'll have something picked out when you come back."

Rubbing at the hairs on his nape, Chat Noir nodded, his viridian eyes blinking behind his mask. "Oh, um, okay."

She watched as he walked across the hall to his bedroom. The sound of his feet walking across the hardwood floor made Marinette glad they didn't have carpet. Captivated by the way he walked—because he wasn't wearing his suit—she only looked away once he'd shut his bedroom door, presumedly to get undressed. Which, admittedly, was not a thought she wanted to dwell on for too long. Really.

She was thankful that their bedrooms were directly across from each other, though. That way they could look at each other and talk to one another, even if they were in their own rooms.

While Chat Noir was changing into his pajamas, she did the same. She switched into the red-and-black polka-dotted sleeping pants she'd designed for herself and threw on a black T-shirt, slipping under her covers with her back supported by her cat pillow once she was situated. She scrolled through Netflix for a few moments before deciding on a particularly funny movie while she waited for her partner to return.

She must have been dozing off, because when Chat Noir knocked on her doorway, her eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly, frowning as he laughed at her.

"Hey, sleepy-head," he said, sitting down on the edge of her bed with his legs crossed. She briefly glanced at his gray sweatpants and black T-shirt before looking back at his face, which wasn't at all attractive, no, not at all, no way.

"Shush," she said playfully. "I'm gonna play this movie and if I fall asleep, please don't wake me."

Chat scooted up so he was lying next to her above the covers. "I promise I won't. I'll just slip off to bed super discrete-like."

Marinette laughed as she pressed play. "Good."

"What's with this pillow?" he asked, poking the ear of her giant cat. "Where do people get these? A friend of mine had one a while ago when we were in collége. I kind of want one."

As she scooted down into her bed with the blanket reaching her chest, Marinette grinned, setting the laptop between them once the movie began to play. "Internet."

"Yeah?" Chat asked. "I'm gonna get one. It's gonna be black with green eyes and be almost as cute as I am."

"Of course you are."

Stretching her arms above her head, Marinette winced slightly as the underwire of her bra began irritating her skin. Normally she slept without wearing one, but since Chat Noir was in her room with her…

Ah, fuck it. If he was going to be living with her, he was gonna have to get used to her being as comfortable as she wanted to.

She sat up and reached underneath her shirt, her hands going behind her back to unclasp her bra. One it was unclasped she slid it down and took it off without even lifting up her shirt, opting to just throw the damn thing to the side, ignoring how her partner watched her with wide eyes. She simply laughed and resituated herself into a more comfortable position, feeling slightly embarrassed but for the most part pretty nonchalant about the whole thing.

"What?" she chuckled. "Hey, I live here too. I'm not gonna make myself uncomfortable just for the sake of being polite."

"Hey, I-" he paused to clear his throat, cheeks reddening deeper with every second that passed. "I have no problem with you- you uh, being comfortable. I'm still amazed by how girls manage to take their bras off without taking off their shirts, but I, uh, I digress. You don't need to worry about… All that. Just be you." His voice cracked as he pointed back at the screen. "Anyway, uh, movie?"

It didn't take long for them both to fall into a near-asleep state. Heaving a yawn so powerful it caused tears to prick at her eyes, Marinette reached over to turn off her bedside lamp and rolled onto her side, having forgotten about the movie or even why she had put it on in the first place. She curled up underneath her covers and scooted closer to Chat, whose body heat was certainly tempting to cuddle up to, but she refrained. He would probably get up any moment to head to bed himself, which was fine. She was tired anyway.

"Chat?" she whispered, her voice nothing more than a tired peep. "You going to bed?"

"Hmm…?"

Aw. Poor kitty sounded so tired.

Blinking open one eye, Marinette smiled as her vision focused and found her partner nearly asleep on his side, blonde-stained eyelashes twitching against his cheeks and lips (that weren't at  _all_  kissable) parted just slightly. Knowing he would probably get cold, she threw half of her blanket over him and shut her laptop, finally feeling herself completely relax as darkness filled the room.

"Why are the lights off?" he asked, voice gravelly from his exhaustion. "It's so dark in here."

Marinette scooted closer. "It's bedtime."

"Oh," he said. "I'd better get up then. G'night." He stirred and made a move to sit up, but Marinette wrapped an arm around his own, hugging his bicep and pressing her cheek against his skin. "'Bug?"

"Bedtime," Marinette repeated. She practically found it impossible to open her eyes. She was so comfortable here with Chat next to her... He didn't really have to leave, did he…?

Chat Noir certainly wasn't complaining. He hesitated a moment before he wrapped his arms around her middle, and she found that she liked being held by another person. Quite a bit, actually.

(He smelled really nice this close.)

As Marinette lie awake, she enjoyed how quiet it was, save for the faint sound of her partner's breathing. While he was fast asleep, she simply lay there, thinking about how happy she was to finally be settled into their place.

Today had been good. No—today had been  _great_. Spending time with Chat Noir, lifting all the furniture and unpacking their boxes before sharing lunch on the floor before their couch had been dragged in… It was wonderful. Hard work, but wonderful regardless.

Chat Noir was such a great friend. She couldn't wait to experience everything that came with having him as a roommate.

(Even if that meant admitting to herself that she may think he's quite cute.)

Ah, well. Tomorrow was another day—another step in her future. And now she would be able to experience that with her best friend.

Marinette felt content.


	11. A Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first full day in Ladybug and Chat Noir's apartment doesn't go as expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so fucken hungry
> 
> ANYWAY
> 
> i really had fun writing this chapter. enjoy adrien freaking about about grocery shopping

A rapping at the front door caused Marinette to awaken at dawn.

As she lifted her head from her pillow, she groaned, blinking the harsh morning sunlight from her heavy eyes and rubbing at her face in an attempt to rid the remaining bits of sleepiness that still clouded her vision. She stretched her legs out across the mattress, but frowned when she accidentally kicked something that definitely didn't feel like a pillow—before remembering who exactly had fallen asleep in her bed last night and feeling a bit of remorse.

Marinette immediately apologized as her partner stirred. A soft complaint rose from his lips.

"Sorry," she said again, placing a hand on his shoulder and rubbing it in slow, reassuring circles, "didn't mean to kick you."

"S'kay," Chat Noir mumbled. He squinted at her for a brief moment and flashed her what looked like a grin, his eyes falling back to a close not a second later. He was still half asleep, so Marinette figured she'd just let him rest.

As he began to drift back off, she absentmindedly ran a hand through his bangs, a happy little feeling rising up in her chest as his lips curled into a barely-there smile, looking so cute ( _not_  cute, absolutely not) lying there with her pink sheets over his form, his hair a golden mess and masked face buried in one of her pillows.

With a glance to her alarm clock, Marinette noted that it was barely seven A.M. Which wasn't too early, to be quite honest, but if she had the opportunity to sleep in until nine she surely wouldn't pass it up.

Tikki squeaked out a yawn as she lifted her head from her spot next to Plagg on Chat Noir's pillow. "Who's at the door?"

"Don't know," Marinette said. "But I'm gonna go check."

"Oh, Marinette," Tikki said, eyes wide and voice suddenly alert. "Your ma-"

The knocking on their door came a second time. Marinette sighed as she slung her legs over her bed, bare feet connecting with the cold wood of the floor. She reluctantly came to a stand. With a stretch of her arms above her head and a yawn, she trekked out into the living room, feeling agitation begin to fester once whoever was outside knocked a third time.

It was so  _early._  Who on Earth could possibly be at their front door at this hour?

As she opened the door with the rising sun shining in her eyes through the windows in the hall, she was met by the faces of her parents, their smiles so bright they nearly blinded her. They held a box in their hands—which Marinette recognized as the cake she'd neglected to remember to take home the day before—and greeted her with a warm, loving hug.

In a brief panic she slapped a hand to her cheek, feeling momentarily relieved as she realized her mask was gone, but then falling right back into that  _oh shit_  kind of panic when she realized that  _her mask was gone._

"Marinette!" Sabine cried, squeezing her daughter tightly. "Good morning, honey. How did everything go yesterday? Was your first night okay? Did you sleep well? Eat anything?"

Marinette stiffened at how loudly her mother had shouted her name. "Aha, I'm- I'm okay, maman. I slept great! We've mostly got everything in, but there's still a few things at home I need to get and quite a few boxes to unpack, but um—"

"Oh, we can help you, Marinette!" her father said. "Here, we brought you your cake. We understand that you were probably too tired to pick it up yesterday, so we figured hey, you're usually up early, we'll just bring it right over!"

Sabine poked her head into the doorway, gaze dashing all over the living room as she had a quick look around. "Oh, Marinette, it looks so lovely inside! Is Adrien awake?"

Feeling her heart practically freeze in her chest, Marinette shook her head fiercely. Her voice cracked as she said, "No, no! No! He's not here! I mean—" she quickly glanced back to her bedroom door, which she'd left open like an  _idiot_. If Chat Noir woke up…. "—he  _is_  here, but he's not…  _here._  He's asleep. So physically he's here but mentally he's—"

"Oh, that's a shame," her father said, smiling sadly. "We wanted to give this to the both of you together. But I'm sure it'll be fine if we leave it here for you two to eat when he wakes up. Is it okay if we come in for a minute?"

They stepped in without waiting for her response. Marinette sighed. She loved her parents more than anything, but they were so…  _invasive_  at times.

"Y-yeah, yeah, just- let me, uh- um. One second." Shutting the door behind her parents, Marinette dashed into the hall and shut her bedroom door and locked it, whispering an apology to her partner under her breath for locking his sleeping self in her room. It would be fine; it was just while her parents were here. He'd probably sleep until after they left… Hopefully…

"Okay," Marinette said as she returned to her living room. She found her parents sitting on Chat's couch—well, their couch, really—and stepped in front of them with a grin that was all too wide to be convincing. "I'm here. Sorry. I just had to… Lock the cat up."

She had to resist the urge to smack a hand to her forehead because  _what the actual fuck, mouth and brain, you're not supposed to work together without my permission!_

"A cat?" her mother asked. Her hand went to lay across Tom's. "You have a pet so soon? Are you sure that's a good idea, Marinette?"

"Of course it is," Tom said. His grin stretched across his face. "Cats are lovely animals! I think it's great that you got a pet, Marinette. I know you've always wanted one. I'm sorry we couldn't have any in the bakery while you were growing up."

Swallowing her scream, Marinette nodded. Her feet shuffled awkwardly on the floor. "Oh, um, yeah. He's great. Actually, I don't-"

"This is such a lovely place." Sabine stood from the couch and walked to the sliding glass door beside the kitchen, letting herself out onto the balcony. Marinette shot a glance to her father. He simply shrugged in response and followed his wife out the door.

The familiar sound of Tikki zipping to her side caused Marinette to turn.

"Marinette," Tikki said, eyes glowing with concern, "I was trying to tell you before. Your mask, it's not on! You must have lost it overnight."

"I know," she responded in a whisper. Worry laced her tone. "I don't know where it went! It's probably in my bed somewhere. Do you think you could look for me while I entertain my parents? I'm sure they'll be gone soon."

Tikki nodded. "Of course, Marinette." She flitted back out of the room and phased through Marinette's bedroom door, presumedly to look for her mask. Which she desperately hoped Tikki would find before Chat Noir woke up and tried to get out of her bedroom before realizing he was locked in and yelling her name—not her  _name_ , her superhero name—and revealing her alter-ego to her parents and- and  _oh, god._

_Breathe_ , she reminded herself. Taking in a breath to steady her undying nerves, Marinette stepped onto the balcony with her parents, feeling a cool morning breeze caress her face as she placed her bare feet on the concrete flooring. The sun was already making its ascent up the sky. Thin white clouds trailed lazily behind the plethora of buildings that decorated the city. The shadows that cast along the roads below were purple in hue, and as Marinette stood next to her mother by the one chair Chat Noir had brought out yesterday, she noticed that a flock of pigeons were gathering in front of the sandwich shop six stories underneath them.

The morning really was peaceful. She was a little glad her parents had woken her just as the sun had risen. At least this way she had some extra time before she had to be at work, and seeing her mother and father was always a plus. Despite her morning grumpiness, she really did love them.

"You really do have a beautiful place here," her father said as he patted her back, coming to stand at her side. "It's a lot smaller than what I'm sure you're used to, but do you think you'll like it?"

There was no hesitation on Marinette's part. "I already love it. It's great so far."

"We're so happy for you," Sabine cooed. She wrapped her arms around her daughter's waist and smiled. "But we are going to miss you at home. It's going to be different to not have you around anymore."

"I know," Marinette said. She offered a slight frown, but it quickly faded from her cheeks as her parents both placed kisses upon them. "It's gonna be weird for me, too. And I'm sure I'm going to miss you guys a lot. But I'm only a phone call away, remember?"

"And the same goes for us," Tom said. "If you ever need anything, anything at all, you just let us know, sweetheart. We'll always be there for you, okay?"

Marinette's smile was so wide it made the sides of her face hurt. "I know. Thank you, maman, and thank you, papa. You really are the best parents in the world."

A quiet tapping at the glass door made Marinette turn her head. Tikki floated in the air, the Ladybug mask clasped in her tiny paws and her expression one of concern. She motioned with her head for Marinette to come inside, and by the look on her face, Marinette could tell that there was something indoors that required her immediate attention.

At least her parents hadn't noticed the knocking on the glass.

"You know what?" Marinette said, voice raising an octave as she took a step back. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tikki fly out of the her of sight in a blur of red. "I'm gonna go get us something to drink!"

"That would be lovely," her mother said. "What do you have?"

"We have…" Marinette swallowed. "Water."

Tom and Sabine share a look. Then (with a stifled laugh) her father said, "Water's fine, hon."

"Great! I'll be right back."

Turning on her heel, Marinette nearly tripped on her way back inside, making sure to close the glass door behind her as she rounded the kitchen and met Tikki in the hallway, who still held her mask in her paws. As the kwami opened her mouth to speak, however, she was quickly cut off by her charge's roommate knocking on her bedroom door.

"Bugineeeeette," he whined, a playful whimper in his voice, "help me! I'm stuck. The door locked itself and now I'm trapped in here forever."

Huffing out a sigh, Marinette took the mask from her kwami and slipped it back on her face, unlocking the bedroom door and bursting in with a hand over her partner's mouth. "Shush," she hissed, stumbling over her own feet. "My parents are here. You have to be quiet."

Chat Noir's eyes bulged with excitement. "Parents?" he whispered, gently removing her hand which was cupped over his mouth. "You parents are here? I thought I heard voices. I bet they're so nice! Can I meet them?"

"No!" she shouted, but then quickly realized her blunder and lowered her voice. "No. Sorry, kitty, but you might know who they are and I can't risk that. You know we can't. I know this is your place too, but can you maybe hide until they leave? They shouldn't be here too much longer."

Chat gave a nod. "Of course, my Lady. I'll just hop in the shower, then." He added a wink for good measure before stepping out of her bedroom and walking across the hall to his own, where he gathered some clothes from his dresser and opened one of the boxes on the floor to pull out a bright green towel. Her eyes followed his sleep-rumpled form as he shut the bathroom door behind him, and her cheeks certainly did  _not_  become a few shades deeper as she heard the shower turn on.

Well. At least that problem was solved. For now.

_Breathe,_ she told herself once more, the word an endless mantra in her head. Marinette clenched and unclenched her fists at her sides as she attempted to compose herself. The anxiety of having her parents over and both them and Chat Noir being a little too close to discovering her secret was more nerve-wracking than she expected it would be. Still, though she had known the whole "living with her superhero partner" idea would be quite risky, now that it was a reality it was making her feel more than a little anxious.

Not scared enough to call it off, of course, but… she still did worry.

"I love my parents," she said to Tikki. "But they kind of need to leave right now before I'm late for work."

A smudge of black zipped past Marinette's field of vision before settling in front of her face, leaving a very grumpy-looking Plagg in its place. "So kick them out."

Marinette frowned. "I can't do that. They're my parents. They just wanted to pop in to say hi."

"And they've overstayed their welcome, by the looks of it," Plagg said. He drifted lazily through the air and towards the kitchen, Marinette trailing behind. "Tell them to leave so you and Adr- I mean, Chat, can have some peace on your first morning in this place. And by you two, I also mean me." He phased into the refrigerator, his voice muffled from the chilled walls. "No cheese?  _No cheese?_  What kind of heathens are you? Who can live in a place without  _cheese!?"_

Tikki rolled her eyes. "Hush now, Plagg. Be respectful. I'm sure they'll get food some other time."

"They'd better," Plagg said.

With a brief giggle, Marinette made her way back out to the porch, but not before Tikki reminded her to take her mask back off. Thank goodness for her.

"There you are," Sabine said as she returned. "You doing okay, honey? Your face is red."

Marinette rubbed at her cheek. She didn't meet the gaze of her mother. "I'm fine."

They didn't question her after that, or ask where their supposed glasses of water had gone.

Her parents stayed for fifteen more minutes until they decided to depart. They wished her goodbye with hugs and kisses before heading out; Marinette watched them walk down the corridor until they disappeared around a corner, shutting and locking the door once they were gone. While she was a little sad to see her parents go, she couldn't say she wasn't thankful that they had left. She had to be to work by ten, and if she still wanted to shower and put some makeup on, she had to get ready soon.

It didn't help that it was nearing eight in the morning and she still hadn't even brushed her hair (or teeth for that matter.)

Leaning against the door with a heavy sigh, Marinette slid down until her rear hit the floor, hand placed over her racing heart. Oh, man. If her parents—or even friends—made showing up unannounced a regular thing, the whole secret-identity thing was going to a bust. A real big bust.

She heard the shower shut off. Her heart did not still its beating.

Well, that was certainly enough anxiety for one day. She slipped her mask back on without another complaint.

Her attention was captivated as the bathroom door opened, however, and she stood from the floor as steam clouded out into the hall before her partner stepped through the doorway. He was dressed in a black T-shirt and white jeans, feet bare and sticking to the hardwood floor as he walked since his skin was still slick. The green towel he'd chosen earlier was being ruffled against his mop of golden hair, which dangled from the plush fabric and dripped droplets of water onto the rug. His mask was still on his face—of course it would be—and his cheeks were a barely-there shade of red, most likely heated from the temperature of the shower.

He sauntered out as if he  _wasn't_  the most beautiful damn thing Marinette had ever seen.

Because he wasn't. He wasn't, right? There's no way he was prettier than Adrien. Nobody ever was.

(But if he kept  _that_  up—whatever it was he was doing—Adrien might have some real stiff competition.)

She… Needed some water.

"Enjoying the view?" Chat Noir teased, momentarily sticking his head back in the bathroom to hang up the wet towel.

Marinette stuck out her tongue as she approached him. (He smelled really nice—like mint and ginger.) "No," she said, bumping her hip against his as she passed him in the hallway. "I'm just relieved you're finally out of the shower so I can take my own."

"Ah," Chat said. "Well, it's free now. All warmed up for you."

She could feel his eyes on her as she grabbed a towel from the closet in her room.

Walking back to the bathroom, Marinette said, "Good." She shut the door behind her, the heat of the previous shower curling around her skin as she began to undress out of her pajamas. "By the way, there's cake in the fridge if you want some. My parents brought it over."

The pitch of Chat Noir's voice rose as the words left her lips. "Cake? For me?"

"For us," she laughed. She could smell Chat Noir's cologne in the misty air. "Don't eat it all."

"Did they make it?"

"I can't answer that. But rest assured knowing they got it from the best bakery in Paris."

"Oh, hell yeah."

Chat Noir's footsteps thudded down the hallway. Marinette grinned at her partner's eagerness.

With a stretch of her arms, she removed her mask and hung her clothing on one of the wooden hooks and let her hair down, feeling at peace in the heat of the bathroom. The mirror was still completely fogged up, and a few puddles remained on the bottom of the tub. It was warm to the touch as she toed in. She twisted the handle to the shower and waited a few moments for it to get up to temperature before she stepped underneath its spray.

The water felt nice and hot against her back, relaxing the remnants of the nerves she'd felt earlier. There was rarely anything more calming than a nice shower—except for a long bath, of course…

Marinette made a mental note to take one the next time she had a night off.

Once she was showered and clean, she dried herself with her towel and blow-dried her hair before sticking her head outside the door to check for her partner. The chill of the hallway caused her to shiver. "Chat?" she called, reaching for her mask (which she'd left on the sink.) "Where are you?"

"In the kitchen, eating some of this bomb-ass cake," he called. "Why?"

Marinette felt her cheeks redden. "Because I need to make a dash to my bedroom for clothes and all I have is this towel."

There was a beat of silence. "O-oh, um, yeah. Go ahead. Not looking."

"Thanks!"

The dart across the hall was as cold as a mid-winter morning.

Thankful to be in her room with the door shut, Marinette dressed herself in a black pencil skirt and a white button-up blouse, throwing her hair up in a bun before sitting at her vanity—which had been a bitch to pull up the elevator yesterday, by the way—and putting on some makeup. She fluffed up her eyelashes with mascara, lined her eyes with a thin black, and filled in her lips with a red lipstick. She really did feel quite pretty. (Which she knew she was.)

Marinette unplugged her phone from its charger on her nightstand and checked the time. It was nearing nine—she would have to leave soon if she was going to be walking to work. A small part of her considered asking Chat Noir for a ride, but then that would cause a whole lot of other issues where he discovered where she worked, and then she would have to discreetly take off her mask before going in and… Yeah.

She really needed a car. Or a bike.

Slipping on some flats, Marinette threw her mask back on her face before making her way back into the kitchen, where her partner was arguing with his kwami. An empty plate sat in front of him. His fork was pushed to the side. Seeing him sitting there relaxed in one of their kitchen chairs, his head in his palms and fingers carding through his hair in frustration, Marinette couldn't help but let loose a laugh.

"What did I miss?" she asked, watching as Plagg crossed his arms with an indignant huff.

" _Chat Noir_  here is being difficult," the kwami hissed. His tail flicked back and forth. "We need a seperate fridge for my cheese. I had a mini-fridge at our old place full of Camembert and I need one  _now._  I can't go on with my day until I've eaten at least three wheels for breakfast!"

Chat groaned. "You don't  _need_  that much cheese, Plagg. You just want an unnecessary amount. It's an expensive habit of yours that needs to be toned down now that we don't live with my dad anymore."

Turning away from his holder, Plagg squinted at Marinette with disgust in his gaze. "He starves me. I'm not treated with respect here, you see? I bet Tikki gets to eat as much as she wants."

"Hey," Tikki said from across the table, turning her attention from the small piece of cake she was eating. "Don't involve me in this."

"Tikki likes cookies," Marinette said. She pulled out a chair at the table and chuckled behind her hand. "I can buy a family-sized pack for four euros at the grocery store. How much does one wheel of camembert cost, again?"

"Don't answer that," Chat cut in.

Plagg scoffed.

As Chat Noir finally broke his heated stare-down with his kwami, his lips parted in a silent gasp, pupils dilating just slightly as his eyes met her own. Marinette blinked, feeling her cheeks heat under his gaze, especially as it flicked up and down from her face to her shirt (and then back to her face.) He was looking at her like… Like he'd never seen her before, like—

"You're beautiful," he blurted. He glanced at her lips before his eyes retreated to his hands. "Sorry. I don't know why I said that."

Marinette grinned sheepishly. At least the compliment was nice. "Oh, um. Thanks, kitty."

A beat of silence passed between them.

"Well!" She stood from her chair abruptly. It was hard to ignore how the tips of her ears burned. "I have to get going before I'm late. Are you off today?"

Chat nodded. He still wouldn't look at her. "Yeah. Why?"

"Great," Marinette said. She grabbed her purse from the counter (where she had apparently left it last night) and slipped her phone in, checking the clock one last time before she did so. "Do you think you could go grocery shopping today? While eating takeout is nice, I don't think it's healthy for us to do that every night."

Her partner dipped his head backward over the backrest of the chair to grin at her, having apparently gotten over his momentary embarrassment. "Sure, 'Bug. What should I get?"

She was going to be tardy if she didn't leave now. "Anything you want. I don't care. I'll see you at seven, okay?"

"Alright." Chat Noir stood from his chair. His fingers brushed hers as he opened the door for her. "Have a good day, Ladybug."

Marinette smiled. "I'll try."

As the door shut behind her, she had a feeling today was going to be great.

* * *

Grocery shopping was  _not_  as easy as most people made it out to be.

Adrien was learning that the hard way.

He… Hadn't really realized that eating food and buying food were two entirely different things. Sure, he knew sorts of foods that went together and he knew that there were vegetables and fruits that people usually enjoyed, but… He didn't know where to find them or even how to start looking, or  _what_  to start looking for.

Instead, he sat at the front of the  _Carrefour_  grocery store, hands squeezing the handle of the cart until his knuckles turned white and eyes darting back and forth across each end of the store. Okay, so the produce section was to the right, and the dairy aisle was to the left… And in front of him was the frozen aisle, as well as the plethora of registers that decorated the checkout area. And he had his cart. Which was good. He was off to an okay start.

Adrien sighed. If only he hadn't grown up rich enough where his father had someone do even their grocery shopping for them. He only had a vague idea of how this whole process worked.

He really wished Ladybug had left him a list…

"Plagg," he hissed to the pocket of his jacket, glancing up to make sure nobody was watching, "what do I do?"

Plagg poked his head out from hiding. "Simple. Just get the cheese and then go home."

Frowning, Adrien said, "Be serious, Plagg. We need food too."

The tiny god gave a roll of his eyes. "Fine. Just pick a side of the store and make your way down each aisle until you reach the end. Get stuff you think looks good. Like cookies or cheese." He let out a yawn before retreating back into his pocket, snuggling up on the inside. "Now let me nap. A cat as handsome as I am needs his beauty sleep."

"...Right."

Okay. So, all he had to do was start at one end and make his way to the next. Seemed simple enough.

Produce. Produce was a good place to start.

He rolled his cart down to the produce section, which was brightly lit with an array of all sorts of fruits and vegetables lining the walls. There were wooden bins with apples and oranges, and all around him the scent of citrus filled the air. As he approached a display of potatoes, Adrien picked one up and weighed it in his hands. Potatoes were good. Everyone likes potatoes, right?

But… How many did he need? What was a good amount? Six? Ten? A dozen?  _Two_ dozen?

God, he was about to have a fucking existential crisis over damn potatoes. People were starting to stare. Feeling his cheeks begin to redden, he grabbed a five-kilo bag and stuffed it in his cart before strolling on his way.

He picked up vegetables he'd usually seen made in meals at his home, like carrots and broccoli and asparagus, as well as a selection of fruits (like strawberries and apples and others) for snacks. He roamed the green vegetables; lettuce and green beans were a good choice. Maybe some salad bags?

Ugh, this was so hard. How did he know what to get when he didn't know the first thing about cooking? He'd only ever had food prepared for him—he'd never made anything himself. He didn't know any recipes or even where to start.

(Again, he really wished he had a list, but he could do this himself. Ladybug had asked him to. They might just have to, uh… Improvise for dinner.)

Adrien travelled up and down each aisle, tossing things he thought would be a good addition to their fridge or pantry into his cart. He decided he would pick up fresh baked bread from a bakery and get meat from a butcher, so he only needed a few things here at the store. As he walked down a particularly brightly colored aisle, however, his attention was captivated by the sickeningly sweet smell that drifted into the air, and his senses were on high alert over the fact that there was definitely sugar somewhere close.  _Very_  close.

Ohhhh boy. This was heaven. This was a dangerous territory. Didn't bright colors in nature mean something was bad? Something that could  _kill_  you?

But yet he was drawn to the colors, the scents, the enticing idea of stuffing his face with junk food. From everything he had been taught as a child—" _don't eat that, that's bad for you, Adrien"—_ all he wanted to do right now was  _indulge._

No, he shouldn't. He really shouldn't. With a sigh, he turned his cart and prepared to walk away.

But then his eyes locked on the blue-colored packages of Oreo cookies. His nose was drawn to the scent of pre-made brownies. His hands—

Oh, no. His hands had just grabbed three boxes of popcorn.

Oh- oh. And now they had thrown all three of those boxes into the cart.

_Silly me,_  he thought as he gazed at the Doritos.  _We don't need this stuff._

Yet the bag of chips ended up in his cart.

_I should be responsible._

He wondered how many chocolate-chip cookies he could eat before he made himself sick as he slid a family-sized package on top of a box of uncooked pasta.

_Ladybug might not be happy to find me coming home with all this junk,_  he told himself, eyeing a bag of marshmallows—a treat he'd never eaten before. They bounced as they fell into his cart.  _I should stop while I'm ahead._

Despite himself, he kept browsing.

By the time he mustered up the will to leave the aisle, his cart was piled halfway with all sorts of things that tasted great but were bad for the body. An inkling of guilt began to rise up within him as he gathered seasonings. Ladybug had told him to get whatever he wanted, right? And he'd never had the opportunity to eat anything he desired before. Sure, he wasn't starved as a child nor was he deprived of sweets every now and then, but… He  _was_  a model, and a model has a certain physique to keep. That did hinder him from splurging as a teenager—especially when he'd always wanted it.

So, he had gone a little overboard. Whatever. He was done with the unhealthy food for now.

His hips swayed to the generic pop music on the radio as he dropped four boxes of Pop Tarts into his cart.

After collecting some cereal, milk, eggs and coffee, Adrien was almost certain he was finished.

Until his phone buzzed with a text from Nino, and he realized he'd been in the damn store for an hour and a half and hadn't even gotten anything that could make a single meal. Heaving a sigh, Adrien pondered his dilemma for a moment before he dialed up his best friend with a frustrated groan.

As Nino picked up, Adrien began rambling. "Nino, you've gotta help me. My roommate sent me to the grocery store and I don't know what I'm doing. I've got so much stuff in my cart and I don't even know how much it's gonna cost me but I've got a ton of fruit and vegetables and some kinds of pasta and eggs and coffee and a lot of okay stuff and I think I'm spending over a hundred euros on snacks. What kind of shit am I supposed to buy? I've never done this before!"

The loud outburst of Nino's guffaw on the other end caused Adrien to tear his phone away from his ear with a wince.

"Don't laugh," Adrien whined.

He could practically hear Nino wheezing.

"I'm sorry, man," Nino said. "This is just so funny. You've never been grocery shopping before? Ever?"

Adrien was silent for a few seconds longer than what was comfortable. He pouted, "...No."

"That's crazy."

"Can you just help me out?" Adrien sighed, running a hand through his hair, exasperated. "Give me some recipes or something. I need something to work with. What kind of spices do I need? I have salt and pepper and garlic but what  _else?_ "

"Oh, boy," Nino said, laughter in his tone. "Alright. Buckle up, Agreste. We're gonna be here a while."

* * *

By the time he'd left the store, it was already nearing twelve-thirty in the afternoon.

He made a quick stop to the butchery to pick up some fresh meat, and hit up Plagg's favorite cheese spot to grab a couple wheels of Camembert, as well as some Brie for he and his Lady to eat on the crackers he'd bought earlier. On a whim he stopped at the chocolatier's shop next door and purchased a gift for Ladybug, and he couldn't help but spoil Tikki with a special set of fancy cookies.

His bill wasn't as hefty as he had expected, but he supposed that was due to Alya's talent of being frugal, who had also laughed in the background when Nino had mentioned Adrien had never been grocery shopping before. It was an embarrassment he'd learned to get over rather quickly, because ultimately he did what he'd needed to: get food for Ladybug and himself.

Now all he had to worry about was getting bread from a bakery. And he knew  _exactly_  where to go.

As he stepped through the familiar glass doors of  _T &S Bakery_, he was met with the delicious aroma of fresh bread and pastries, the pleasantly buttery scent of the two combined filling the room and making his stomach rumble with the desire for food. As the smell drifted into his nose, Adrien's heart flipped in his chest from a bittersweet sort of nostalgia from when he was a teenager in lycée.

The bakery had always been a central meeting place for he and his group of friends; Marinette's house was just so warm and welcoming that Nino, Alya and himself had always found themselves winding up there after school hours for an evening of snacks and video games. They'd relax on her couch, tell jokes and call each other names in a friendly sort of teasing, and more often than not Marinette's parents would invite them to stay over for dinner. And, even though Adrien hadn't been allowed to prolong his visit most of the time—he thanked his dick of a father for that—he still enjoyed his time spent with his three best friends. Excluding Ladybug, of course.

(The memory from just a few weeks ago of he and Marinette half-drunk and sleep-deprived at her kitchen table, drinking coffee and laughing at themselves resurfaced within his mind, and the reminder that he had unintentionally asked her on a date rose back up to smack him in the face. He still needed to call her about that… If she still wanted to go to dinner with him, that is. He hoped she did. She was so nice and pretty and such a great friend.)

"Adrien!" a voice cried. Adrien looked up to see Marinette's mother approaching him from behind the register. She removed her apron and set it on the counter before wrapping him in a tight hug. "How are you? We missed you this morning!"

Missed him? This… Morning? What?

"Oh, um." He returned the hug lightly. Physical affection (from anyone other than Ladybug, at least) was still something he wasn't quite used to. "This morning? Where was I?"

Sabine pulled back from the embrace with a confused quirk of her eyebrow. "Marinette said you were asleep when we visited. We wanted to give you your cake together, but she had to get ready for work, so we didn't get to see you. Did you get a chance to eat it yet?"

"Cake?" Puzzled, Adrien frowned. He hadn't eaten any cake this morning, or seen one for that matter… Had he? His day had been such a mess of running all over town that he couldn't recall. "...Yes?" he lied. He didn't want to hurt her feelings over an uneaten cake—especially if she and Tom had gone to such lengths to prepare one for him and Marinette. Wherever the cake in question had gone...

Was he supposed to have met Marinette somewhere this morning and forgot?

Sabine's face lit up like the city at night. "Oh! That's wonderful, honey! How did you like it?"

Adrien scratched at the back of his neck. "It was… Good. I liked it."

"I'm so glad." Sabine smiled as she went to serve a customer at the register. "Strawberry has always been Marinette's favorite flavor, especially in cakes."

"It's one of mine, too," Adrien said. He stepped in line behind two other customers, as business had started trickling in once more. He did come here for bread, after all. "Though my favorite of all time is probably vanilla."

Sabine grinned. "Good to know."

After picking up a couple baguettes and a package of sliced bread (as well as some  _pain au chocolat_  for his Lady), Adrien placed the last of his items into his car—borrowed from his father, of course, since he couldn't load groceries on his motorcycle—and made his way home. He felt the familiar joy of twisting his keys in the lock to the door that was now  _his_ , and even as he struggled to heft the bags of groceries from his car, to the elevator and to the kitchen, he felt happy. Overjoyed, even.

He set the food down on the counter with a huff. It didn't take him too long to unload the groceries into the fridge. It was practically filled with food once he was near finished, which was a good sight to see.

As he was sliding in a jug of milk, however, his eyes landed on the beautifully decorated box from Tom and Sabine's bakery, and the memory of the delicious cake he'd eaten this morning resurfaced back into his mind…

Huh… Was that the cake Sabine had been talking about? She'd given it to him, not Marinette… But how would she even get inside? Marinette's parents didn't know Ladybug. Did they leave it on the doorstep? Is that who had been at the door this morning?

But he'd heard voices. And Ladybug had said her parents had visited. Unless…

"Give me my cheese," Plagg demanded. He rifled through the brown paper grocery bags, tossing a bunch of carrots over his shoulder as he searched for his precious Camembert. "Where is it? Where?"

Adrien sighed. "It's not in there," he said, plucking Plagg out of the bag by his tail. Plagg squirmed in his grasp. "It's in the plastic bag with the cheese logo. You know the one."

With a gasp, Plagg zipped out from his holder's clutches, diving into the bag and ripping a wheel out of its package. A putrid odor hit the air; Adrien had to stifle a gag as he pinched his nostrils shut.

"Could you at least eat that outside?" he asked, voice nasally as he breathed out of his mouth. "It's going to stink the whole apartment up."

Plagg stuck out his tongue. "Fine," he said, holding up his head like the high-and-mighty god that he thought he was, "I like the sunshine, anyway."

It was with a breath of relief that Adrien resumed putting away their groceries. With Plagg outside eating his wretched, wretched cheese, he was once again free to breathe and smell like a normal human being.

Camembert… So nasty. It both smelled and tasted awful.

He stacked all of the sweets (the excessive amount that there was) into the cabinets above the sink, his cheeks momentarily heating at what he imagined his partner would say when she came home to find that the pantry was stuffed to the brim with snacks. Shrugging it off as a problem for later, he made himself a sandwich for lunch and hooked up the television before plugging in his game console.

It was one-thirty. Five and a half hours until Ladybug would be off of work. Wherever she worked, that is… But that was none of his business. He shouldn't wonder about things that didn't involve him.

Adrien spent the remainder of his time alone playing a few video games, unpacking the rest of his boxes that still loitered in his room, and ringing up Nino on a video call, who apparently had the day off and was perfectly fine with spending his morning talking to his best friend.

Being nine hours ahead of California made talking with him difficult, but Adrien made do. Especially when Nino was going to become a father within the next seven months—they could use all the time they could get right now to see each other. Even if it was over a computer screen.

He woke up from an unintentional nap around six. As he sat up from his uncomfortable position on the couch, Adrien winced, rubbing at the back of his neck to ease the soreness and pressing his knuckles into his spine to give it a crack. Oof. He felt like he'd slept like a rock. Or  _on_  one, for that matter.

It was nice to be able to fall asleep during the day without worry, though; usually, at his childhood home someone was bound to wake him and usher him out of his bed to do something, whether it was model work or practicing piano or whatever other daily duties he'd been given on his schedule. But right now he was alone. In his  _apartment._  And it was nice.

Still, he did feel bored. He'd already done everything he could find to do on his own for the day. Now all he could do was wait on Ladybug to return.

...Who was probably going to be both tired and hungry when she arrived home after working a nine hour shift.

"I should make dinner," he said, sitting up suddenly. "Plagg, I should make Ladybug dinner."

Plagg yawned in annoyance from his spot on the opposite end of the couch, where he too had fallen asleep. "You don't know how to cook."

"No," Adrien agreed. "But Nino did give me a bunch of recipes. I could use one of those."

Plagg simply stretched out his legs and rolled his eyes. "Good luck, loverboy."

* * *

Well, he hadn't burnt anything. Or caught the apartment on fire. Those were two upsides to, uh… Whatever he had made.

It was pasta with an Alfredo sauce that Nino had given him instructions how to make over the phone when he'd called him for the third time that day, panicking over what he should cook. It had broccoli mixed in it, and as Adrien took a bite to test the flavor, he was pleasantly surprised to find how nice it tasted.

Huh. If recipes were  _that_  easy to follow, he'd surely be cooking for his Lady more often.

He had just finished setting the table as he heard the door unlock. Turning his head like an excited puppy, Adrien slipped on his mask a split-second before the door opened and grinned as he saw Ladybug walk through the door, kicking off her shoes as soon as she'd shut it behind her. She looked tired; her bun was a mess and falling out at the ends, and even with the mask he could see the bags that hung heavily underneath her eyes. Her blouse was untucked from her skirt on one side. She walked towards him with a weary slump.

Adrien felt for her. Her job must be pretty hard. He wondered if it would be wrong to ask her for a vague idea of what she did, just so he could make things easier for her when she got home. Maybe he'd give her a back massage, if she wanted it. Or he could even get a bath running for her. Whatever she needed to relax.

"What smells so good?" she asked through a yawn. Her voice was low and raspy; like she was about to fall asleep upright.

Adrien pulled out a chair for her at the table. "I tried cooking."

He beamed at the way Ladybug's face lit up at the sight of food prepared for her. "You made this? For me?"

"Well, for us," he said, grinning sheepishly. He rubbed at the back of his neck as he grabbed a bottle of wine he'd picked up earlier from its holder above the fridge and poured them two glasses. "I think it tastes pretty good, but I don't really ever cook, so you'll have to be the judge of that."

"We'll see," Ladybug said. She sat at the table with a huff, her back practically melting into the seat. She used one of the other chairs at the table to prop her legs up. "I honestly don't even care how it tastes right now. I'm so hungry. I… Sort of forgot to eat lunch today."

Adrien frowned as he plated food for Ladybug and then himself. "What? Why?"

"Too busy," she said. "I had a lot of deadlines to meet that my boss is really strict about. He's kind of an ass."

He felt a blush tinge his cheeks as she reached up to let her hair down. Black tresses cascaded over her freckled shoulders; Adrien had to resist the urge to think about kissing the milky patches of skin where they lie.

"Buginette, please take care of yourself. I care about you." He frowned at what she'd told him. Her boss sounded like a dickhead. Sliding her plate towards her, Adrien said, "Here, eat up. You need it. And then we can have dessert."

"Dessert?" Ladybug's eyes met his as she twirled the noodles around her fork. "What did you get?"

Adrien stilled. He scratched at the hairs on the nape of his neck and pointedly avoided his partner's gaze. "...Stuff."

Ladybug paused her movements, the fork that held the bite she was about to take resting back on her plate. "Stuff…?"

He instinctively glanced to the pantry.

"Chat," Ladybug sighed, hands reaching forward to rub at her temples. "What did you buy today?"

Adrien was beginning to sweat. "Now, Ladybug," he said, a wobbly smile appearing on his face, "you know I'd never lie to you…"

The look Ladybug regarded him with was  _flat._

Adrien froze as she stood from her chair. His eyes widened as she approached the pantry, and he felt like he was about to have a damn heart attack when she opened up the cabinets and the same bag of Doritos he'd told himself he  _didn't need_  fell out onto the counter, as well as the bags of popcorn and the package of Oreos and the Pop-Tarts and oh, god, he'd really overstuffed the pantry.

...Fuck.

Ladybug was quiet.

Too quiet.

After a moment of deafening silence, his partner sighed, shut the cabinet, and placed her head in her palms.

"...Okay," he said, standing from his chair with his hands hovering over her shoulders. "I know you're probably mad, but—"

"You're so funny," Ladybug said.  _Laughed._  Her voice wavered and her body shook as she burst into a fit of chortles. "You're so- oh my god, Chat Noir. This is- I don't-  _why?_ "

Though he couldn't say he wasn't surprised by his Lady's reaction, her laughter was ultimately contagious as he joined in on her giggles. It went on for what seemed like ages; Adrien clutched his stomach as his muscles began to hurt from the constant strain. His fingers curled around the edge of the counter to steady himself before he lost his breath and toppled over to the floor. Ladybug's legs wobbled—his hands went to her waist as she nearly lost her balance.

"You idiot," she wheezed as she stood upright. "Why would you get all that stuff?"

"I have no self control!" he said, wiping his eyes from the tears that had began to form from his laughter. "I saw all the good stuff and I dunno, I panicked. I wanted it all and I couldn't stop myself."

"You're so—" Ladybug gave him a friendly jab on the shoulder. "You're so silly."

Adrien smirked, sitting back down at the table. "Oh, come on. You know that's the best thing about me."

With a roll of her eyes, Ladybug ruffled his hair and made her way to the refrigerator. "Why would you buy all that stuff when we still have this cake?"

"Cake?" Adrien asked. He swallowed a bite of his food.

"The strawberry one in our fridge from my parents?" Ladybug reminded him. She lifted the box to show him, the golden T&S logo shining in the light of the kitchen. "You had a piece this morning."

Oh.  _Oh._ Ohhhhhhh.

Oh… Oh, wait. Wait- fuck. Fuck? What?

"Strawberry cake…?" he breathed. His thoughts were beginning to scramble as he rose another forkful of pasta to his lips.

"Yeah. I'm surprised you don't remember." She put the box back in the fridge, head momentarily disappearing behind the door before she shut it and sat back at the table. "You know, strawberry has always been my favorite flavor, especially in cakes."

Adrien nearly choked on his food.


	12. A Thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien thinks long and hard about a few suspicious details concerning a certain Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey wowie look at that, a quick update!
> 
> [i made some cover art for this fic! yepyep i draw too. check it out!](http://frostedpuffs.tumblr.com/post/173428992130/finally-made-some-cover-art-for-my-fanfic-a-simple)  
>    
> this fic is unraveling. and it is... out of my control
> 
> enjoy!

It took Adrien a moment to breathe again.

What had Ladybug said? Something about strawberry and cakes?

The back of his throat burned from the strain of coughing. That noodle had really fought its way down his windpipe. Dabbing at his eyes with a napkin—which had watered as soon as he'd began choking on his dinner—Adrien breathed in, his chest fluttering as he came back down from his state of near-death.

(Okay, so he hadn't nearly died. But where's the fun in not being dramatic?)

His head pounded. He couldn't even remember what had been going on before he'd lost the ability to take air in like a normal person.

"Are you alright?" Ladybug asked from across the table, blue eyes wide and hand outstretched in a curious motion. "Do you need some water?"

Adrien swallowed painfully. "Fine," he wheezed. "I'm fine. I just, uh"—oh, man, his mind was a  _mess—_ "I kind of breathed in wrong and then everything went bad."

Strawberry. Her favorite flavor was strawberry… Especially in cakes… Hadn't he heard that somewhere before? Isn't that what Marinette's parents had said? No, they had said vanilla—or had that been what he'd said? He didn't know.

Maybe it was just a coincidence. A really  _weird_  coincidence.

It had been such a long day.

"Let me get you a drink." Ladybug stood from the table without a word, her bare feet padding across the wooden floor as she made her way to the kitchen sink. She grabbed a cup from one of the cabinets and poured him a glass of water. Her expression was tight with concern as she returned to his side, one of her hands rubbing his shoulder in slow, soothing circles while the other offered him the beverage.

Her fingernails were painted pink.

Turning his eyes away from that minor detail, Adrien took the cup without a moment of hesitation. The drink felt cool as he downed it.

Didn't someone else he knew always have pink-painted fingernails…?

"Thanks, Buginette," he said hoarsely, throwing her a smile. "I don't know what happened back there."

He really didn't.

They finished their dinner without commotion. Ladybug was pleasantly surprised with how tasty the meal he'd prepared was; Adrien couldn't stifle his laugh when her face had visibly brightened in excitement, eyes blown wide and lips parted in a smile. The wine from their glasses had been drained, the glow of the sun faded from the windows and gave way to the yellow lights of the city, and it was with a yawn that his partner closed the curtains around the apartment as he washed the dishes.

"Do you want me to start a bath for you?" Adrien asked as he watched her slump onto the couch, exhaustion clear in the bags underneath her eyes. He stacked the clean plates in their designated cabinet. "Or do you want me to just let you sleep?"

"It's only eight-fifteen," she said. Her arms rested on the back of the couch, eyes drooping as she fought the urge to drift off into slumber. "I can't go to bed yet."

He dried his hands before turning off the kitchen light. "Why not?"

"It's too early."

"So?"

"I don't want to sleep yet," Ladybug said, though her eyelids were shut and her voice held a weary tone. "I just got home. I want to play a game or read a book or something, not go to bed."

A game, she said? Well, he could help with that. It's not like he owned hundreds of video games or anything…

(Deep within his mind a memory of his friends during lycée poked at his gut, causing him to think—for just a moment—about all those times Marinette had wiped the floor with him and the others because of her substantial skills in gaming. He'd never been able to beat her, no matter how he had tried. Hours and hours they had spent lazing on her family's couch, stuffing their faces with chips and cookies into the wee hours of the morning, playing match after match…

But that was a thought for another time. Right?)

Shaking the idea from his mind, Adrien sat next to Ladybug on the couch. The cushions bounced with his sudden weight. "Then let's play a game," he offered. "I brought all of mine from home. What do you want to play? I've got all three Mecha Strikes, racing games, shooter games, flying games, and even farming games. Your pick."

A laugh rose from his partner, confident and cocky. "You could  _never_  beat me in any of the Mecha Strike games."

_Something_  stirred within him.

"Is that a challenge, my Lady?" he goaded. His eyebrows wiggled up and down as he nudged her side. "Because if you're challenging me, I say we make it a bet."

"Oh, yeah?" Ladybug's expression was nothing but pure self-assurance. There was a familiar gleam in her eye, one he'd seen somewhere before… At least, he thought so… "I'd like to see you try, kitty-boy. Best two out of three?"

Adrien smirked and stood, grabbing the third version of the Ultimate Mecha Strike series and popping it in his game system before handing his Lady a controller. "You're on. What do you want if you win?"

Tapping her chin, Ladybug pondered for a moment before snapping her fingers. "You have to make dinner all week. You could use the practice."

"Hey!" he laughed at her comment. "I thought I did good, tonight."

She crossed her arms with a grin. "Oh, you did. But that doesn't mean you can't do better."

"Alright, Miss Bossypants," he said. "Fine. If you win, I'll make dinner every night for the next week. But it's not my fault if I burn this place down."

With a playful roll of her eyes, Ladybug asked, "What do you want if, for some unfathomable reason, you win?"

There was no hesitation on his part. "A smooch."

"I'm not kissing you."

Ah, well. He knew that was a little far-fetched, even if he was joking, anyway. Still, it didn't stop his insides from wilting a little bit.

"Then…" he hummed, mulling it over. "How about you bake me some cookies?"

Ladybug snorted with laughter. "Do you  _not_  remember all the snacks you bought today?"

"Oh, right." He scratched at the nape of his neck. "Okay, I know what I want, and you can't say no to this one. Deal?"

"That depends on what it is," Ladybug said, lips curling upward as she stretched her legs out on the couch.

Adrien turned to face her once their game started up. "I want you to watch an hour of cat videos with me."

"Oh, my god."

"I'm serious."

"I know," Ladybug laughed. "You know what? Fine. Now get up here so we can play."

He complied without a complaint. Ladybug's legs rested atop his thighs as she got comfortable on her side, and Adrien took notice that her toenails were painted in the same shade of pastel pink that decorated the tips of her fingers. A grin graced his lips; he almost felt bad that he was going to beat her in every match of their game.

(If she wasn't the girl he was beginning to suspect she was.)

"Prepare to be destroyed," he said, selecting the cat-themed robot on the character screen. "I'll have you know that I've never been beaten by more than one person at this game, Buginette. So good luck."

Ladybug blew her fringe out of her face as she rolled her eyes, choosing the ladybug-spotted robot as her own. "Well, now that number is going to become two. Just don't cry too hard when you lose every match, okay?"

"No promises," Adrien laughed.

He quickly learned that Ladybug did  _not_  fuck around when it came to video games. In three matches that each had three rounds, he was pummeled into the ground by her stellar moves and expert handling of the controller. She mashed buttons like a pro, her tongue poking out of her perfectly rosy lips and her shoulders scrunching when she made just the right move. She had won every game. Every  _single_ game… With mannerisms that were so alike someone else he knew, he almost caught himself saying her name.

_Her_  name.

(Almost.)

"I won!" she exclaimed as her name came up as the winner for the final match. Her hands rose into the air with her victorious shout. "So, who's making dinner all week, now?"

Giving a good-humored roll of his eyes, Adrien pointed his thumb towards himself. "This cat."

"That's right," she said. "But, hey, if you manage to win just one round, I'll watch some cat videos with you."

"An hour of cat videos?"

"No. Just a few," Ladybug laughed. She shook her head, re-adjusting her position so that she was lying on her back. She looked really cute like that, relaxing there with her head propped up on one of the throw pillows, black hair spilling over the arm of the couch, the collar of her blouse rumpled and the top two buttons undone…

(He glanced away before he could take notice of the blue lace of her brassiere that was just barely peeking up from the thin fabric of her shirt, his cheeks heating with shame that he'd even let his eyes wander.)

"Fine," he replied after a moment too long, his gaze focused on the floor, "Let's keep playing, then. I'm getting those cat videos no matter what."

A snort of disbelief rose from his partner. "Oh, we'll see."

By the end of the fourth match, her confidence was spilling over in waves, and when she'd won her fifth, sixth, and even  _seventh_  round, Adrien had given up. He thumped his head against the back of the couch with a sigh. Despite his losses, he still wore a smile on his face. "What did you say about not crying too hard when I lose?"

"Don't tell me you're about to cry, Chaton." Ladybug placed her controller on her stomach as she blinked up at him through her lashes. "I'll have to go buy tissues."

Considering he really was a little disappointed his Lady wasn't going to watch funny cat videos with him, Adrien upped the dramatic flair, throwing the back of his hand to his forehead as he let out a long  _whine._  "I'm so hurt," he faux-cried. "Oh, I'm moving out. I can't deal with this kind of abuse. I'm wounded, truly! Do you hear that? That's the sound of my heart breaking."

"Chat Noir," Ladybug sighed, sounding fonder than she should have at that moment. "You are the most impossible—"

"Um, you mean im _paw_ ssible—"

"— _impossible,_ " she corrected, mirth in her tone as she continued, "person to play video games with. If you're gonna whine because I happen to be better than you at fighting giant robots—"

"I call a rematch!"

"We've had seven rematches, kitty."

"One more," he pleaded. His head rolled to the side as he gazed at her with an exceptionally cute gleam in his eyes. "Just one more game. C'mon, Buginette, aren't you having fun?"

He saw her try (and fail) to resist the smile that spread across her face. She flipped her hair back over her shoulders, hands clasping the edges of the controller and legs crossing over his own as she settled back into the couch. Her eyes gleamed with determination. "One more. Then I'm taking a bath and going to bed."

"It's a deal."

The one round came and went within minutes. Ladybug, the reigning champion of the evening, had ceremoniously defeated him with every match they'd played, but even after Adrien lost the eighth, he still had faith in himself. They played a ninth, and tenth, and even an eleventh until the clock struck fifteen minutes shy of eleven-thirty and they were both exhausted from devoting all their remaining energy into their heated robot battles.

He'd managed to win one match. Just one. But that was enough to salvage his self-confidence for the night.

Adrien ran his hands down his face as they finally ( _finally_ ) shut down the game. "You've trained with professionals."

"I  _am_  the professional," she quipped. The smirk she displayed was a challenge in itself. Sitting up (and removing her legs from his lap), Ladybug stretched her arms out in front of her with a crack of her knuckles, hands going to her back afterwards to rub it with an added wince.

"Rough day?"

"Huh?"

"You're exhausted," he said. He scooted closer to press his hand into her spine with a gentle movement. "Are you sure you don't want to go to bed?"

Ladybug's shoulders slumped as she allowed herself to relax. "I do now. But my back is killing me from sitting at a damn desk all day long. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep."

A desk? Hmm… She must work in an office or something. Or if he wanted to get a little more specific, a designer's desk at his dad's work.

But that wasn't for him to know.

Nope, nope. Her identity was a secret— _her_  secret—and he had no place to be wracking his mind for information.

(Even if she'd mentioned something about strawberries and cakes and it being her favorite flavor.)

"I'll be right back," she said as she stood, making her way towards the hall. "I've gotta take all this makeup off."

The rest of the night was uneventful.

After he'd nearly choked on his dinner, Adrien's head was full of thoughts nagging at his mind. The video games had helped distract him for a while, but now that he sat on the couch as he waited for Ladybug to finish in the bathroom, well…

His stomach was tying itself in knots.

He couldn't have figured it out, not this early. Not like  _that_. He'd never wanted to discover her identity without her consent. They weren't supposed to know; they were supposed to have kept it a secret! That's what the rules were, what Plagg and Tikki had drilled into their heads since day one when she had been gifted the earrings and he'd slipped the ring on his finger for the first time.

Hands running down his face, Adrien sighed as he held his head in his palms.

A passing thought of Marinette at only fourteen years old returning to her bedroom to find a little red box containing a special kind of jewelry made his heart  _thump_  in his chest and oh, god, he couldn't have figured this out, not now, not when they'd just moved in together—

The feel of his partner's arms wrapping around his shoulders caused him to jump. Ladybug chuckled at his minor scare and apologized, but he still felt too- too  _weird_  to do much of anything else besides just sit there like a moron.

"I'm getting in the bath," she said, ruffling his hair as she made her way to the bathroom. "You going to bed?"

Adrien shook his head. His voice felt barely-there as he said, "No."

"Okay."

Tonight she'd thanked him for dinner; hugged him; told him she had appreciated what he'd done for her. And here he was thinking about who she was under the mask. It almost felt like he was betraying her a little bit… So he needed to stop. Right now.

The hours of the night had flown by like the buzz of Ladybug's yo-yo. As Adrien walked to his bedroom like a zombie and lay back on his bed, he thought of how soft her hands were, and how the touch of her skin to his own was so  _nice_  as he was enveloped in her arms was a memory he'd never forget.

While she soaked in the tub, all he could do was sit on his bed and  _think._

His mind had been a muddled mess since he'd woken up that morning. The voices—the familiar yet not so familiar  _voices_ —that had travelled throughout the apartment in the early hours had been haunting him, racing in his head and reminding him that he'd heard those voices before, somewhere… But  _where?_

(He knew where. He knew, but he didn't want to admit it.)

This was confusing.

Ladybug's parents, the cake, the white blouse his partner wore that he'd  _sworn_  he'd seen somewhere before, it- it was all so- so  _confusing!_

He tripped over his own feet as he attempted to put his pajama pants on. Grunting as he hit the floor with a thud, Adrien groaned, rubbing at his chin after it had collided with the wood. His temples throbbed with a piercing headache.

"Fuck," he cursed.

Ladybug called from the bathroom, "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he responded as he came to a stand. His pants slipped on easily that time. "Just tripped."

"You tripped?" there was laughter in her tone. "On what?"

"Pants," he said. Despite himself, the corners of his lips cracked up into a smile.

The sound of the tub draining signalled that she'd be coming out in a minute. Adrien felt his heartbeat begin to quicken.

(Sudden anxiety would never be considered a friend of his, no sir.)

He didn't know what to think. One minute he had been enjoying a nice dinner with his Lady, and then she'd gone and…

No. This wasn't her fault. She had just been making conversation. It was him who was standing in his bedroom trying to figure out something that she didn't want him to know—something they weren't supposed to know at all.

He swallowed back his nerves and slipped a pajama shirt over his head. His eyes stayed trained on the floor as the sound of the bathroom door opening came from the hall, and even as he heard footsteps cross into the room opposite his, he didn't look. He didn't know if he could.

No, no, no. He needed to relax. Relaxing was good. It was all just a coincidence, right? Because there's no way they would go and mess things up this early. Not after only a day of living with each other. Not so soon… They had promised they wouldn't pry about each others identities. They had made a  _promise_ , and here he was going and breaking that—breaking Ladybug's trust.

This was too much.

He should have never stepped foot in that damn bakery this morning...

Throwing himself onto his bed, Adrien breathed out a heavy sigh. He draped his forearm over his eyes to shield the light that shined into his gaze. Man, his head was throbbing. Though normally he considered himself a night-owl—or night-cat, he supposed—he kind of wanted to turn into bed early just to end the day and rid his mind of frustration.

(But he couldn't. He knew he couldn't. He would be up all night with his thoughts racing about Ladybug and her parents and  _Marinette_ —)

"Are you okay?"

Adrien lifted his arm away from his eyes before they landed on his partner standing in his doorway, her brows knit together in concern. Her hair was pulled up into a bun, and the dusting of freckles on her shoulders was prominent with the white spaghetti-strap nightgown she was wearing. It was short—just above her knees—which made Adrien glance away lest his eyes wandered.

(Though he knew he'd never let them.)

He cleared his throat before he spoke. "I'm fine," he said, sitting up against the headboard of his bed, "just tired. It's been a long day."

Ladybug's lips turned upward into a smile. She stepped into his room and placed herself on the edge of his bed. "You, too?"

She'd had a long day? Well, that was far more important than how his went.

His attention was immediately captivated by her as he scooted closer, his feet hitting the chill of the floor once he was directly next to her. One of his hands rested on her shoulder (which was bare and warm and full of tiny little brown dots that looked like adorable galaxies as far as he was concerned.) He gave it a squeeze. "Want to talk about it?"

The blue eyes he'd come to love shone bright as she turned her head to face him. She tilted her head to the side; her hair smelled of strawberries.

Adrien had to swallow back the scream he wanted to emit because  _he wasn't thinking about that right now._

"I guess I could," Ladybug decided after a moment, and Adrien caught the way her gaze flicked down to his shirt for a moment before it met his. "Nice outfit, by the way." Her grin widened as she snorted in an attempt to hold back a laugh.

He looked down. His heart skipped a beat and his cheeks  _flushed._

This… Was not his proudest shirt. No, definitely not one he'd intended to put on when Ladybug was home. He had planned to keep this one secret. It was only in his dresser because he'd bought it for laughs, but he had been so out of it when he'd grabbed a pajama shirt that he hadn't even noticed that the Ladybug sitting next to him was the very same Ladybug that was covering his entire torso in an array of polka-dots and hearts.

"Now, come on," she said, voice wavering as she tried (and failed) to stop herself from laughing, "I thought I was the one that was supposed to be wearing the spots in this relationship."

Adrien shook his head, flashing his Lady a sheepish smile. "Well, now it's both of us."

"That's fine," Ladybug said. "Just don't come running to me when Plagg starts crying because you gave him up so easily."

The kwami's voice rose distantly from the kitchen as he shouted, "What!?"

"Nah, I'm not giving him up. I'll just ask him to redo the Chat Noir costume in red instead of all black," Adrien chuckled.

Ladybug straitened to retort, but she winced as one of her hands connected to her upper back. "Ugh," she groaned, the pleasant atmosphere of the room dulling. "Sorry, I just- It's my back. I love my job, but I can't stand sitting for eight hours straight. It's killing me."

With a tint of red to his cheeks, Adrien offered, "Need a back rub?"

Ladybug's responding smile was all the confirmation he needed.

She laid on her stomach over his sheets. The blush on his face remained as he sat between her legs and began to massage out the kinks in her spine. Like a cat kneading a blanket, he worked at her sore spots, focusing on a particular area every now and then as she let out soft, pleased hums that were like music to his ears. With every press of his fingers into her clothed skin, he smiled, and every time a mewl rose from her lips he thrived.

It felt nice to be able to help her like this, especially in their own apartment.

(Their own space. Alone.  _Together._

Even if he was between her legs while she was on his bed in a thin little nightgown—

Okay! That was enough.)

"B-better?" he asked, hoarse as he swallowed. His cheeks burned from the heat of his flush while his fingers worked.

Ladybug stretched her arms out in front of her, body adjusting and back arching as she became more comfortable. "Not quite," she sighed, eyes half-lidded, "there's a spot on my middle lower back that's been bothering me for days."

Middle… Lower back. Okay. Okay! This was fine. Everything was fine. He'd be okay. She wanted him to help her;  _needed_ him to. He wouldn't disappoint her by being too shy to touch his partner in a place he'd probably touched her before.

It was different now, though. During battles they had no fear of getting into each others personal space because they  _had_  to, but now, with the two of them alone in their own apartment, on top of his bed…

"You're okay with that?" he asked, surprising himself.

Ladybug's response was a quiet laugh. "Why wouldn't I be? It's just my back, Chat Noir. No need to be so modest. It's not like you're touching my—" She cut herself off with a contented sigh as his hands began to work on the particular area that was bugging her. "Mhm. Right there."

His eyes widened as a sound that he could have  _sworn_  was a moan rose from his Lady.

Voice caught in his throat, Adrien wheezed, "H-how are you d-doing?"

Ladybug hummed. She turned her head to look up at him with those  _gorgeous_  eyes. "Much better. Thank you."

Was it fifty degrees hotter in here, or was that just him?

Squeezing his eyes shut to stop himself from thinking, Adrien massaged at her back with skilled hands, used to the motions of helping her de-stress. He'd given her plenty of massages before. This was nothing new to him. Though normally they were suited up outside on top of buildings in public, not alone in their pajamas in his bedroom. It was a little hard to contain his inner embarrassment.

He worked at her kinks for a while. An inkling of concern began to rise in his chest when she went completely silent save for the gentle rise and fall of her back that signalled she was at least alive, much to his relief, but as he called her name, there was no response.

"Ladybug?" he tried again.

Nothing.

Leaning over to get a glimpse of her face, Adrien's lips quirked upward as he noticed his partner had fallen fast asleep.

"I suppose that's a job well done, then," he whispered, unable to suppress his grin. He got off of the bed—careful not to stir the sleeping beauty—and pulled his blanket over her before switching off the light and walking out of the room. It's a shame he wasn't anywhere near tired yet. He wouldn't have minded lying next to his Lady for a while…

But she needed her rest. He'd let her stay there as long as she wanted. Even if she slept there all night, he would stay on the couch so she could have all the room she wanted.

(He only hoped his bed was comfortable enough for her.)

The apartment was a bit of a mess after his frantic cooking earlier. It was time to clean up, Adrien decided, thankful he'd already done the dishes and could now work on making the rest of the place look bright and beautiful, much like the girl who lay in his bed.

He wiped off the countertops in the kitchen, fixed the placemats on the dining table, pushed in the chairs and tidied up the living room. There were a few things he'd left on the floor while unpacking earlier, like a couple socks and books, so he set them to the side to put away tomorrow instead of placing them in his room, just to be sure he wouldn't wake Ladybug.

The television they'd left on was turned off, the remote sitting in front of it on the coffee table. In his hands Adrien held a blanket that he'd grabbed from the hall closet, and as he shut off every light in the apartment and settled onto the couch, he sighed. The moon was shining brightly behind him, even through the white curtains that hung in front of the window.

The blue light of his phone screen caused him to squint as he checked the time. It was past midnight—definitely late enough to get some sleep. But, still… His thoughts nagged at him, and his stomach felt so twisted and  _wrong_  that Adrien knew getting an ounce of shut-eye tonight would be hard to come by. It'd be a blessing just to take a nap.

...Was he avoiding the elephant in the room?

"Turn that light off," Plagg 's voice rang from the opposite end of the couch. Adrien laid his phone screen-side down on his chest, taking notice of the two kwamis snuggled up together on top of a throw pillow. "It hurts my eyes."

He felt himself smile at the sight. "Sorry, Plagg. I'm just having a lot of trouble relaxing."

Plagg wasn't the one who responded.

"Why?" Tikki asked. She lifted her head from its spot on the pillow. "Not tired?"

The chuckle he emitted was devoid of humor. "You could say that."

Nudging the kwami at her side, Tikki said to Plagg, "Why don't you take him for a run? That usually helps my Ladybug calm down when she can't sleep."

A grumble rose from the lump of black fur on the couch.

"Plagg, help the boy out," she sighed.

No response.

Tikki frowned. "Please? For me?"

"Ugh, fine," he hissed, stretching out his front legs, his tail twitching as he yawned. He paused a moment to clean his whiskers and scratch at the back of his head with his leg. "But let's make it quick, okay? You may not be tired,  _Chat Noir,_  but I am."

So, Adrien found himself slipping out the window of his bedroom clad in his transformation, careful not to disturb his sleeping partner even as he shut the glass behind him. He used his baton to leap from rooftop to rooftop, masterfully scaling the sides of buildings with his claws, his heart racing in his chest and his mind silent for  _once_  as he felt the city air fill his lungs and course through his veins. The night was cool, refreshing; like a bucket of cold water that had been tossed upon him to startle his thoughts.

Adrien felt at peace like this. With his boots clicking on the panelled roofing of the city's apartments he felt  _free_ , like a bird whose wings had never been clipped, or a cat who had never known the feel of a collar. No, he didn't belong to anyone—the city was his and his alone at this moment, and he'd never felt more at home.

(Except, of course, when he had first set his foot in his and Ladybug's apartment. That felt more like home than any place ever could.)

Oh, Ladybug… She was giving him quite a bit to think about, wasn't she?

He hadn't spoken to Marinette in person in a few days. The last he had seen her was at work, when she had rushed in to fix a torn pocket on a vest that was about to be photographed, and she had been so frazzled from the amount of deadlines she had to meet that he'd barely gotten a word out of her. Just a promise to get together for lunch again another time, and that was all.

But this morning…

This morning he had entered her parent's bakery and then everything had become a mess from there. He was so stupid, he never should have—

Frustrated with himself, Adrien gave the chimney pot he stood next to a swift punch, feeling the negativity bleed out of him in the form of dented metal. At least the old chimneys were no longer useful—then he might have had an angry citizen to deal with.

Ah, well. At least the suit granted him an extra layer of protection so the meager amount of pain that rose from his knuckles didn't bother him. Instead, relief welcomed him as he vaulted himself away from the rooftop he'd previously stood upon, internally deciding to just keep running until he couldn't anymore.

Whenever that would be.

Adrien's head pounded by the time he began to make his way back. He knew he had to come to terms with what was going on—even if he didn't want to.

So, Marinette could be Ladybug. Alright. There. He'd said it. He had.

There was a high chance Marinette was Ladybug and he was living with her and he had slept next to her last night and oh  _man_  he had practically been on top of Marinette— _Marinette—_ while he'd massaged her back and wow, okay, that also meant Mari had been Ladybug since the  _beginning_ , which means he'd fallen for her first before he'd fallen for her in lycée and never found the courage to admit anything before the crush had faded and- and-

His feet shuffled awkwardly on the gravel of the teashop roof across their apartment complex, and his heart threatened to leap out of his ribcage. Adrien had to cup a clawed hand to his chest to calm its frantic racing.

"Okay, okay," he breathed. He squeezed his eyes shut as the light of the moon bathed his suit in white. "Okay."

Ladybug's secret identity was Marinette. Her secret identity that he wasn't supposed to know. She was  _Marinette._  Marinette, his first friend, his old crush from lycée, and the girl he'd stopped talking to for five months after they'd both gotten a little too drunk at a Christmas party. Marinette was  _also_  the girl that he had a little bit of a soft spot for  _still_  even after graduation, and she was his ever-so talented coworker who many (like himself) depended on to make their day bright.

Oh, hell.

Marinette was Ladybug. Ladybug was Marinette. Marinette was—

...Was walking into the late-night teashop below him, hair tied up in a bun and a sweater over her shoulders, very much  _not_  in his bed right now where he thought she was.

"...Mari?" he whispered to himself as he watched her sit down at a table outside and begin fiddling with her phone, cup of steaming tea in hand.

So… If Marinette was down there, and Ladybug was up in their apartment safely snuggled away in his bed… Then that must mean he was wrong. That he'd been overreacting the whole time, overthinking the entire situation.

Because it really was just a simple coincidence, right?

Anybody can like strawberry cakes.

He felt a wave of relief wash over him.

Still, he wasn't sure if he was entirely convinced. Though Adrien knew it would be weird for his friend to see Chat Noir of all people coming down to greet her, he couldn't help but want answers. Especially since he really didn't want to have discovered his partner's identity without her consent.

(Though, admittedly a faint disappointment nagged at the pit of his stomach and made him feel sad. If Marinette had been Ladybug, man, he'd… He would have been the happiest guy on the planet.)

But he couldn't dwell on that.

He watched. Waited. His tail twitched as Marinette took a sip of her tea and jolted backwards as if her tongue had been burned.

The laugh that rose from his lips couldn't have been suppressed.

So, without waiting any longer, he leaped down to say hello.

* * *

When she had woken up, Chat Noir was gone.

It was startling, really, to rise up from his covers in the dark with her arms outstretched in search of a warm body to hug only to find that the other side of his bed was cold and empty. Marinette's heart had ached for a moment—just one—before she'd called his name.

It was eerie to receive no reply.

He had been there just a little while ago, clad in his pajamas and placed behind her on his bed with his fingers working at her sore spots. Her peace at the hands of her partner had caused her to fall asleep. She hadn't expected to drift off so easily, but she had been so tired, and he had made her feel so relaxed…

She couldn't sleep not knowing where he had gone.

Dragging her fatigued body out of his bed, she wandered out into the kitchen for a glass of water to refresh her parched lips, eyes scanning the dark room in search of her kwami. She found her curled up on the couch, Plagg absent from the apartment—which made Marinette realize that her partner must have transformed and was out god knows where at this hour.

She considered transforming herself, but decided that she would rather let Tikki save her energy and grab something hot to drink to help her rest.

If Chat Noir wanted to go out, fine. That was his business. Even if she was a little concerned that he had left without warning.

At least with a brief check of her phone she confirmed there were no akumas attacking. That allowed her nerves to calm, even if a little bit.

Marinette threw on a sweater and some leggings before she crouched down next to Tikki by the couch. "Hey," she whispered in the dark. "Want to go get some tea with me?"

The squeaky yawn Tikki let out was adorable, to say the least. "Sure, Marinette."

Her keys jingled in her hand as she locked their place up.

Once down the elevator and outside, Marinette shivered at the brisk night air, wishing for the heat of summer to return. Cars rolled down the street beside her, and across the road the faint yellow glow from the teashop's windows cast over her, enveloping her in a warmth that pulled her closer to its doors.

Thank goodness this place was open so late.

After she'd ordered herself some tea (and grabbed a straw for Tikki to sip from), Marinette sat herself outside at one of the iron wicker tables, her pink-painted fingernails lazily tracing circles into the ceramic cup as she waited for it to cool.

A breeze blew through the air. Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks as she blinked.

Her phone buzzed beside her with a text from Alya, but Marinette avoided checking lest she notice the time. She didn't want to know how late it was—she had to work the next morning, and knowing if it was past midnight would only cause her stress to increase in magnitude.

So, without bothering to even glance at her phone, she boldly sipped at her tea—only to recoil at the temperature, her tongue burning from the fierce heat of her drink.

(She could have sworn she'd heard someone laugh, but she was too tired to care.)

It was too late for anything. Marinette sighed, resting her head in her palm as she closed her eyes. She should have just stayed in bed and waited on her partner to get home instead of worrying, but…

The familiar thud of metal-tipped boots caused her to blink open her eyes in surprise. Her drink sloshed in her cup as she startled.

"Chat Noir?" she breathed, surprised to find her partner standing in front of her at the damn teashop across the street from their apartment, of all places. Especially when she wasn't transformed. "Wh-what are you, uh…"

"Doing here?" he supplied, shrugging his armored shoulders with a sheepish grin across his face. "Couldn't sleep. Mind if I pull up a chair?"

Marinette shook her head, still a little breathless from his sudden appearance. "No, no, uh… Go ahead. I don't mind at all."

So he sat. And things were awkwardly quiet.

After a few moments too long to be comfortable, Chat Noir cleared his throat and asked, "What about you?"

Marinette paused as she cautiously sipped at her tea. "Huh?"

"Why are you up?"

"Oh." She set her cup down as she swallowed, eyes falling to the brown liquid that swirled lazily in its hold. "I couldn't sleep, either."

Chat Noir rested his head on his forearms. His eyelids drooped as he gazed at her cup. "That's a shame," he said. The moonlight shone brightly off of his halo of golden hair. "I'm at that point where I'm tired, but I just can't sleep."

Taking another drink of her tea, Marinette asked, "Why's that?"

"Too much on my mind." He didn't meet her eye as he spoke.

Oh. Well… What in the world could be bothering him? They had only just moved in together. It surely couldn't have been something she did, right?

Marinette swallowed her tea a little thicker that time.

"Like what?" she asked.

Chat Noir breathed out a sigh, his shoulders rising and falling with the gentle release of his breath. "I thought I found out something I shouldn't know, and it was making me feel pretty awful. Not because of what I found out, but because I wasn't supposed to know it. But now I realize that I was just being ridiculous and I was wrong the whole time, anyway."

"Oh," she said. Her voice was quieter than she would have liked, her mind trying to piece together what exactly he'd meant and whether or not it concerned her superhero identity. "Well, whatever it was—" she paused to finish her tea, "—I'm sure it wasn't ridiculous. We all have our reasons to worry. Even if the worries can get a little out of hand."

The grin that graced his face made her smile in turn. "I guess you're right."

The sound of music from down the street filled the air, and the scent of her tea remained.

Things were quiet. A good quiet. It was surely past midnight and most civilians were tucked away in bed, leaving the city in a sleepy sort of silence save for the faint noise of parties and bars.

She felt nice. As she watched the blinking lights of a plane fly above, Marinette finally began to feel herself relax.

"Well," she said, pushing her chair back with a smile once she'd stood, "I guess I'd better be getting back home. It is pretty late, isn't it?"

"It's nearly one-thirty in the morning," Chat Noir said, much to Marinette's chagrin. "Goodnight, Mari."

She momentarily froze at the familiar nickname before brushing it off as a simple mistake on her end. It was too late in the night; she was just hearing things. "Goodnight, Chat Noir."

He smiled at her before she left. Just to be sure he wouldn't discover her by watching her walk into their complex, she turned and headed down the sidewalk instead of crossing the street, glancing behind her shoulder after a moment to be sure he was gone. Then, she ducked behind an alleyway and transformed, quickly flinging herself up to the sixth floor and through his bedroom window, where she slipped her mask on and practically tossed her pajamas back on her body after she'd thrown her other clothes across the hall into her own bedroom.

She was back in his bed just as the digital clock on his nightstand struck one-thirty-five.

Her eyes felt like stones. It was too late—or, well early—for her to be awake. She had never considered herself a night person, not when growing up in a bakery. The latest she ever woke up was nine.

Chat Noir wasn't back for a while. Marinette did her best to stay awake as long as she could, really, but she was just so  _tired._  It had been such a long day and she had only gotten a little bit of sleep before her partner's absence had startled her.

She didn't expect him to be gone for so long. So much for rushing to get back in bed, it seemed. Where was he?

Sleep was easily beginning to take hold of her. It would be so nice to get some rest…

Opening her heavy eyes was a chore. She just… Couldn't stay awake anymore…

She had drifted off before she felt the familiar weight of her partner settle beside her.

"You're back," she breathed, voice raspy from lack of sleep and a yawn forcing its way out of her body. "Where'd you go?"

His voice came from behind her, as her back was facing him. "Out for a stroll. Sorry, did I wake you?"

"Yeah," she said. Her hair fell in her face as she turned her body to face him. "But that's okay."

He yawned in response to her own. "Sorry, 'Bug. I just needed to go for a run."

"Why?"

"A lot on my mind."

Marinette's eyes fell closed again. "Like what?"

"Don't worry about it, my Lady," he said, his voice full of nothing but love and care for herself, "you need to get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow."

"Do you want me to move to my bed?" She scooted closer to him even after she asked, hoping her would say no because god  _damn_  was his bed comfortable. He must own a memory foam mattress or something, the rich bastard…

"No," he replied. "I mean, no, you don't have to, but… You can if you'd like to."

She hummed in thought. Marinette could feel how soft his skin was as she placed her head on his shoulder, her cheek pressed against his warmth.

...Nah. Too comfortable.

"I'll stay," she whispered. "I'll stay."

As his arm wrapped around her waist, Marinette could have sworn that she'd never felt more at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im not sorry
> 
> :^)


	13. A Month

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a whole month since Ladybug and Chat Noir moved in together—and Marinette has to teach Adrien how to use a washing machine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the long update wait
> 
> i started ANOTHER new job working with animals! it's great
> 
> here's a (sort of) filler chapter. sort of ;D you'll see what i mean
> 
> enjoy adrien and marinette chilling at a laundromat lmfao

The first month flew by like a breeze in the summer air.

Things had been going smoothly, more or less. So far there hadn't been any hiccups—at least not any Marinette could remember—and while they were both away at work most of the time with schedules that didn't line up, she found herself immensely enjoying everything that came with living with a friend.

Being roommates with someone like Chat Noir—whose bedroom happened to be right across her own—made life a lot more interesting to say the least. Perhaps a little  _too_  interesting at times.

"Interesting" like forcing herself out of her bed to convince him to go to sleep at a reasonable hour instead of two in the morning, or teaching him how to put a clean sheet on his mattress like he was some sort of idiot. There were times where she had to tell him to  _shut up_  because he was on the phone while she was trying to  _rest_ and others, when it was early in the morning and she had risen for work before dawn with her alarm blaring, he would drag his half-asleep body across the hall—clad proudly in his Ladybug pajamas—and turn it off himself with a slap of his hand and an irritated grunt.

...But she digressed.

Things had been going well.

Marinette woke up before him in the mornings and was already at work by the time he rose out of bed, and while she got home earlier in the evenings, Chat Noir was usually gone until the sun had long past set. During workweeks they seldom saw each other except to have dinner and say goodnight, and though it worked for them, Marinette did find herself feeling a tad lonely every now and then. Well… Maybe more than a tad.

If she was being honest with herself, she missed him being home. Some days they only saw each other during the occasional akuma attack, and even then they couldn't  _talk_. All they could manage was to defeat the latest villain and go back to their jobs.

It sucked to be apart from him after she'd only recently became used to seeing him every day. It had always been like this before, sure, but… Now that they lived together, she longed for his presence more than she ever thought she would.

(Only because she was accustomed to having him around. Not for any other reason, of course.)

As orange sunlight began trickling down the sidewalk, Marinette noticed it was getting late—nearing eight o' clock—and the city was beginning to calm. Walking down the street with her laundry basket pressed firmly against her hip, she let her eyes wander, gaze following the setting sun, a sigh blowing her fringe from her forehead at the way it cast a purple-hued shadow over the sides of buildings. How pretty of a sight it was; a reminder of how she and Chat Noir used to patrol as kids, heading out just as the sun began to descend behind the city's horizon and going their separate ways once it hit ten. Back then, they both were still in school, so the late nights they spent together didn't become a usual rendezvous until after they had graduated lycée.

With the sun beating on her back, Marinette's heart swelled in her chest as she passed the place they first met. Those were different times, when her clumsiness had gotten the better of her and she'd ended up tangled around her new partner, feelings of friendship blossoming from the moment they put their feet back on the ground.

For a moment it hit her hard, knowing that it was such a long time ago—seven years, in fact—and warmth spread in her chest just from the thought alone. It was a sentimental feeling; one that made the corners of her lips turn upward into a grin. Her eyes trailed the rooftops as if she expected Chat to pop his head out any second, eyes bright with a playful greeting and an invitation to join him for a moonlit stroll through the weaving chimney pots.

It was so different when they were kids. Her eyes fell from the building toward her feet.

Wow, she really did miss him these days… Especially when she got caught up at work and stayed overtime. It didn't feel right to go to bed in an empty apartment without his laughter filling the rooms, and it certainly felt weird to fall asleep without telling him goodnight… But he mentioned he was getting time off soon. It was just a busy season—whatever that meant for wherever he worked—so hopefully they would be able to hang out again within the next month.

(Maybe they could even take that camping trip they had joked about. But, she had a job to worry about too, and with the summer line coming up in just a few weeks, she knew getting a minute of free time was damn near impossible.)

A stray pebble bounced down the sidewalk as she kicked it.  _Being a responsible adult sucks_ , she thought bitterly.

Heaving a sigh, Marinette held her laundry basket in both hands as the door to the laundromat closed behind her, its bell ringing in a way that reminded her of her partner's suit. She smiled softly at the sound.

Inside, it was at an evening lull. Ttwo other people meandered around the machines, watching their clothes spin to their heart's content while they waited, looking awfully bored. There was another woman about her age standing with her hands on her hips in front of a washer, and an older man having a bit of trouble staying awake as his clothes dried.

Laundromats weren't supposed to be fun. What with all the standing around for two or three hours waiting on loads of clothing to finish their cleaning, Marinette had come to dislike her weekly visits. She longed for the days where she would have a laundry room at home, able to sit on her couch and pass the time by playing video games or filling her sketchbook. Now, she had to sit in hard plastic chairs surrounded by strangers, which made her especially uncomfortable when it came to washing her undergarments.

But it couldn't be helped. Clothes needed to be cleaned, after all.

Setting her basket on the floor next to the wall of washing machines, she pulled out a few fifty-cent coins from her purse and popped them in their designated slot, feeling the evening sunlight warm her side as it streamed in through the large glass windows at the front. She watched her clothes spin around in the washer with a blank expression upon her face. It really wasn't until times like this she found herself missing the ease of having her own washer and dryer at home.

When the heat of the sun began to bake her bare legs, Marinette knew she was going to be here a while.

She was bored. Too bored.

Fiddling with her phone to pass the time, she sat on one of the plastic chairs that were placed in rows of four, her leg jiggling mindlessly as strands of her hair began to fall from her ponytail and into her face from the heat. Summer had surely settled into the city by now, and with a quick scan of the room, Marinette could tell it was already beginning to affect the citizens of Paris.

The few people that mingled in the laundromat were in shorts and T-shirts, and the girl in the corner was in nothing but a sports bra and athletic bottoms. Hell, even Marinette herself was in a halter top and faded jean shorts, wiping her brow as the heat from the dryers combined with the sun shining from the window began to cause her to sweat.

She could really go for some lemonade right about now…

The bell to the laundromat chimed. Marinette didn't bother looking up from her phone.

She heard the stranger shuffle around the machines, their movements quiet save for the sound of clothes being mechanically washed and the faint music on the radio that played above, and Marinette pressed a hand to her mouth as she let out a yawn.

It was already eight-thirty. She wondered if Chat Noir had arrived home yet. If he had, she knew he'd probably take a shower and grab some dinner—some leftovers or fast food (which he ate far too often), since he still wasn't all that great of a cook—before settling down on the couch for the night in his pajamas with his macbook on his lap.

Marinette wanted to go home, too. She had only gotten off of work an hour ago, having stayed late to help a coworker finish stitching a dress, and had rushed off to the laundromat as soon as she had grabbed her basket from home.

She briefly wondered if Chat was worrying about why she wasn't home yet. Oh, she hoped he wouldn't wait up for her… Having each others phone numbers or a texting app would be great for situations like this, wouldn't it?

"Marinette?"

Startled from the sound of his voice, she dropped her phone from her hands, watching as it plummeted to the tile floor screen-face down. A noise of despair immediately rose from her throat. As she went to grab it, her fingers brushed along someone's knuckles and her eyes flicked upward to meet those of her friend and coworker, Adrien Agreste.

Marinette swallowed.

"I am  _so_ sorry," Adrien said, holding out her cracked phone with an apologetic look in his eyes, "I'll pay to get that fixed. I promise."

Too tired to argue, Marinette sighed, her lips stretching into a thankful (yet weary) smile. "It's, uh- it's okay." She glanced up from her phone to find him scratching at the back of his head, his eyes refusing to meet her own. "So, uh… What are you doing here?"

"Me?" he asked, voice cracking as one of his eyebrows quirked up in amusement. "I'm doing laundry."

Oh. Well, that should have been obvious from the basket of dirty clothes by his feet and the way he was donned in nothing but sweatpants and a T-shirt.

"Right," she said, looking up as her clothes finished their wash cycle. She stood from the chair and popped a coin into a dryer at the end of the line. "No clean clothes?"

Adrien's cheeks turned a shade pinker. "Haha, nope. I didn't realize until I had nothing left but this," he said as he gestured to himself, "and I can't go out in public in my pajamas."

Grabbing heaps of wet clothing and stuffing it into the dryer, Marinette let out a laugh, shutting the lid of the machine before pressing the start button. She wiped her hands on her shorts to rid the remaining dampness. "I mean, you could. But I can't promise you the press wouldn't have a field day."

"Oh, I'm sure," he said in reply, shaking his head with a grin. He seemed to want to load his own laundry into the washing machine, but after a moment of staring at the dials he took a seat next to her on one of the plastic chairs. "I bet they'd love to catch me walking down the street in my Ladybug-spotted pajama pants."

Marinette snorted. She tried to ignore the way her heart skipped a beat at the idea that he had clothes inspired by  _her_. "Why am I not surprised you own Ladybug pants?"

Flipping through his phone, Adrien shot her a wink, the dimples on his cheeks prominent as he smirked. "Because you know I'm a weeb."

She brushed her bangs out of her face as they began to stick to her forehead from sweat. "I'm not going to confirm or deny that."

"Oh, I'm confirming it," Adrien said. He slipped his phone back in his pocket, and as he looked at her he must have taken notice of how hot she was, because it wasn't a moment later that his eyes glanced down from her brow and he asked, "Do you want anything to drink from across the street?"

There was a little convenience store just across the laundromat. It was small and quaint, with a selection of a few drinks and snacks and cigarettes, and also a sugary-sweet pink lemonade Marinette had found herself coming to enjoy every now and then after work. The thought of something cold against her tongue made her mouth feel like sand. She wet her lips. It was with a nod that she said, "That'd be great, thanks."

"What would'ya like?" he asked, standing from his chair. "I'm in the mood for a soda. I don't usually drink it, but today is a good day for a cherry coke, don't you agree?

"Any day as hot as this is good for anything cold, really," Marinette replied. She could feel her shirt sticking to her back as she adjusted her position in her seat, her bare thighs clinging against the plastic. "Just a pink lemonade will be fine. Anything to help cool off in this weather."

Adrien nodded. "I'll be back." With a wave of his hand, he slipped out the door, the bell jingling as it shut behind him. Marinette watched him cross the street from the window—his face hidden behind the lettering on the outside of the glass—before he entered the shop on the opposite side of the road.

Oh, man. Sweatpants were a  _good_  look on him.

The way her cheeks flushed at her own thoughts caused a trickle of embarrassment to seep down her spine.  _Get a hold of yourself,_  she scolded her inner voice, ignoring the way her mouth felt dry. That lemonade would certainly do some good to help quench her thirst… From the heat! The thirst that had been bothering her because of the  _heat_!

She wanted to smack herself.

It didn't take him long. Five minutes and he was back with a can of coke in one hand and her bottle of lemonade in the other, the bell of the door singing after him as he handed her the drink. She took it gratefully, twisting open the cap and downing half of it in one swig. It felt like relief in the form of sugar. As a stray drop began to slide down her chin, she wiped it with a grin gestured toward her friend.

Huh. He still hadn't put his clothes in the wash...

"Thanks," she breathed. She noticed a few strands of his hair were sticking to his forehead, and there was a sheen of sweat glistening on his neck as the sun hit his skin just  _right._

Her face felt hot as she looked away. The second sip of lemonade that washed down her throat was one that felt a little less satisfying.

Adrien nodded, his smile almost as bright as the sunset itself. He pressed his unopened can of soda against the tip of his spine to counteract a fraction of the heat. "You're welcome," he said. "Man, I can't remember the last time it was so hot at this time of day. Makes me want to go swimming."

"That sounds nice," Marinette said. She allowed her head to rest on her palm as she dreamed of taking a dip in the pool back at their complex. Maybe if they went late at night, she and Chat Noir could go together in their masks. That would be fun.

"Doesn't it?" Sitting back down next to her, Adrien snapped open his coke and took a sip before turning his attention to her. "So, um. Weird question. Please don't laugh at me. How exactly do you work one of these things?"

As he gestured back to the washing machines behind him, Marinette glanced back and forth between her friend and the cycling appliances, baffled by what he had said. "What?" she asked in a tone that was full of amusement, halfway convinced that he was pulling her leg for some sort of weird joke, but when he didn't join in on her laughter, well…

She realized he was dead serious, and her smile diminished.

Adrien didn't meet her gaze. His hand instinctively wound back to scratch at the hairs on his nape. His voice was quiet as he said, "I may or may not know how to use a washing machine."

"Oh," Marinette said, intelligently. "It's not hard. You want me to show you?"

Her friend's cheeks were  _burning._  "If- if it's not too much trouble."

"It's not," she said.

(It was better to spare the jokes, she knew, because in reality Adrien had grown up sheltered, like a prisoner in his own home—he couldn't help that he had never been taught how to do simple household chores.)

They spent the next ten minutes going over how to use a washing machine. For normal non-curious people, that time should have been cut in half, but Adrien was the type that asked a lot of questions. Especially when she had asked him how big of load of laundry he had and he replied with, "Does that matter?"

It did. It did matter, because he was washing a month's worth of laundry, and it all definitely wouldn't fit in a single machine.

(Marinette resisted the urge to slap her palm to her forehead.)

"Okay," she said as he put his first load in. "Do you have any fifty-cent coins?"

Adrien produced his wallet and pulled out a fifty-euro note. "I have this."

That time, she didn't bother stopping her hand before it connected to her face with a sting. "I have extra coins. We can use those."

Adrien gave an embarrassed laugh.

Once his clothes were running in the wash, they returned to their seats and leaned back, enjoying the quiet of the (now empty) laundromat that was full of the sound of gentle-rolling machines. It was already nearing nine, and Marinette had work the next morning—she knew come six when her alarm went off she'd be threatening to beat it to a pulp with her pillow.

Her eyelids began to pull downward. She couldn't wait to go home and see her partner and curl up in bed. (Her own bed, of course. Because they hadn't developed a habit of falling asleep in each others beds while watching movies and they certainly hadn't gotten used to dozing off on the couch together after a few rounds of video games.)

She wanted to text him. To tell him she would be home soon and that he didn't need to wait up for her, even though he usually went to bed around midnight. Marinette wanted to call him and let him know she was just doing some laundry and that he could eat without her because she wouldn't be home for dinner until later and she didn't want him to be hungry.

A sigh blew from her nose. Why was she thinking about him so much these days? Why did she always seem to wonder where he was and what he was doing? They were only friends, nothing more. Just friends.

Friends who lived together and fought crime together and occasionally cuddled on their couch—

Okay! That was enough!

Was Adrien like that with  _his_  roommate?

As if he could read her thoughts, Adrien broke her out of her clouded mind by saying, "Mari, tell me: how are things with the roommate?"

Swallowing some of her lemonade, Marinette twisted the cap back on the bottle and shrugged, mulling over how exactly she'd answer his question without giving too much away. "Things are good," she said. "It's only been a month, but so far everything's been really nice. We don't see each other too often because of our work schedules, and we're usually really tired when we get time together, but… He respects my space and I respect his. He's a good friend."

Adrien smiled at that. "Sounds nice."

"I only have one complaint, actually," Marinette laughed, looking to her friend with a wobbly grin, "and that's the fact that he's really bad at keeping his room clean. Like, I'm so organized and he's kind of all over the place, so it's a little hard to remind him to clean up after himself, but other than that… He's great. He does a lot for me."

_He really does._

From cooking dinner to vacuuming the floors and sweeping the kitchen, and even making her bed for her on the mornings she had to rush out to work, Chat Noir was always there with simple surprises that made her days just a little brighter. Sometimes when she'd get home from a particularly long day at  _Gabriel_  and he was still gone, there would be something sweet left on the table for her with a note that had a pun written on it, and other times, on the days he was off or the rare occasion he arrived home earlier than she did, he would have dinner ready on the table for her with a warm bath awaiting her just down the hall.

Chat Noir cared about her  _so_  much. She needed to do something really nice for him one of these days.

"I'm glad to hear that," Adrien said. He finished his drink and crushed the can between his hands. "It's nice to know that things are going well for you."

"Thank you," Marinette said. She nudged him gently with her elbow. "What about you, huh? How are things at your place?"

Adrien tossed his empty can across the room and into the trash can. His face immediately lit up at the question. "Things are great! My roommate, she's… Wow. She's everything I've ever wanted in a roommate, you know? Understanding, clean, loves my favorite video games and is  _good_  at them, and she's teaching me how to cook. She's really good at that too. But she hogs the bathroom sometimes." He snorted at that. "But that's not really a complaint, since I understand how long it can take to get ready in the mornings. I don't wake up this pretty, you know."

Marinette laughed. "What? You're kidding."

"I'm serious," Adrien replied, humor lacing his tone. "Be glad you don't see me in the mornings, Marinette. My bedhead could rival a sheepdog's. My roommate's made a habit of handing me a brush as soon as I wake up on the weekends just because she  _knows._ "

"Is that so?" she asked, crossing her legs as she laid her arms on the back of their seats. "My roommate is the same. I can't even see his face when he wakes up in the morning. It's like a mop sat on his head."

Not that she could see his face any other time, anyway. His mask effectively prevented that.

(Even if she still did wonder who exactly it was she was living with.)

Adrien laughed in response. They spent the remaining time it took for her clothes to dry sharing details about their respective roommates, telling tales of hilarity and experiences they've had while living with their friends, and before Marinette knew it, it was already dark outside.

She began folding her clothes as Adrien loaded his into the dryer—which she also had to teach him how to use. He offered to help her with her clothing, and she gratefully accepted, her exhaustion from the day finally beginning to settle on her muscles. Her back was sore; the bandages on her fingers from accidental pricks of needles were beginning to fall off, and  _god,_  her feet ached.

"Watch out for underwear," she warned him as he began folding her clothing.

Adrien gave a playful roll of his eyes. "Marinette, I'm a model. I get paid to work around bras and underwear. It doesn't bother me. Does it bother you? Because I won't look if you don't want me to—"

Marinette laughed. "It's fine."

He still didn't touch them out of respect, though.

"My dad's been asking about you, by the way," Adrien said after an elongated silence. He folded one of her skirts and placed it in the basket that sat on the floor behind them. "He's wondering if you'd like to come over for dinner again."

Marinette stifled a yawn as she placed a pair of jeans in the basket. "Really? That's nice of him."

"Mhmm," Adrien hummed as he picked up a pair of leggings and folded one leg over the other. "I think he wants an update on our relationship or something. You know, the fact that we're 'dating' and all. That or he just likes you a lot. Which is different, because he's never liked any of my friends."

Although that was a sad fact to know, she couldn't suppress her pleased giggle. "Well, I guess I'm special, then."

"Yeah," Adrien replied. He briefly glanced at her as he folded a shirt, a smile gracing his lips. "You are."

Marinette felt her cheeks burn at that.

They folded her clothes in silence, and by the time the basket was nearly finished, the weariness that had been seeping through her bones finally inhabited deep inside of her, and it was with a yawn that caused her eyes to prick with tears that Marinette realized it was time for her to go home and relax.

The thought of curling up in her bed after a hot shower comforted her. Maybe she would put on a movie on her desktop computer and fall asleep to the light of her screen; maybe she would sit on her and Chat Noir's couch and play a peaceful farming game to help her unwind after a stressful day; or maybe she would take a bath with her favorite lavender soaps and soak all her troubles away. Every option seemed equally as enticing.

Perhaps she could coerce Chat into making her some tea… Wouldn't that be nice…

Adrien's laughter startled her out of her half-asleep state. "Why is it every time we hang out, you end up falling asleep on me?"

"I'm sorry," Marinette replied, amusement in her voice. "I've had a really long day. You wouldn't believe what I had to deal with at work today. Your father and his employees are running me ragged, I swear. He's like a tyrant sometimes, always telling me what to do and giving me deadlines that are impossible to meet so that I can't take breaks and I- oh." She placed a hand to her mouth, eyes widening a fraction. "I probably shouldn't say that stuff in front of you, huh?"

"Hey, we're not on the clock," Adrien chuckled. He gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. "Besides, you're my friend and fake girlfriend. I'm not going to rat you out to my dad. I bitch more about him that anyone else does so I don't really have the right to."

She laughed at that. A pair of balled up socks were tossed into her basket.

"He's not giving you breaks?" Adrien asked after a moment, brows furrowing in concern. "Don't you work like, eight or nine hour shifts?"

Marinette looked away, hands stilling on the pants she held. It took her a moment to find her words. "He does," she said, slowly. "I'm allowed to take them any time I want. But the problem is, uh…" Oh boy. She really didn't like the idea that she was complaining about her boss to his  _son_  of all people. "It's not a big deal. Don't worry about it."

"Marinette," Adrien said. "Tell me what's going on."

_Ugh._ He was looking at her with those kind green eyes and such  _care_  in his gaze that she couldn't  _not_ tell him the truth.

He wasn't folding anymore—his attention was undividely upon her.

She cupped her elbow in her palm, fingers fidgeting against her skin and heartbeat quickening faster than its normal pace. "Well, you know the summer line is coming up soon. And how I recently got promoted to junior designer. Which is great! I'm super happy. But the closer the deadline for the line gets the longer my work days become, and I've been working anywhere from nine to thirteen hour shifts these days without having time to take my breaks. I can, and I'm allowed to, but if I don't get my job done in time…" She sighed. "I don't know. I know your dad won't fire me. But there are other bosses below him that are in control of me and it's just a lot of stress. I've been having a hard time."

Adrien's face visibly softened, and the empathy he felt could clearly be heard in his voice. "So that's why we haven't had lunch together since you got promoted. I had no idea. You're not thinking of quitting, are you?"

"No!" she exclaimed. She cleared her throat and blushed at the sudden rise of pitch in her voice. "No. I'd never quit. Designing is my passion, and being at your dad's company is like a dream come true. I knew long before going into the fashion business that it wasn't going to be easy. I was prepared for this. I can handle it, honestly, Adrien. But I do appreciate the concern."

"I know you can handle it," Adrien said. "I'm not doubting your ability to work long hours, Marinette. I'm just concerned for your mental and physical health. What you're having to do can't be good for you. Have you eaten today?"

Marinette glanced away, embarrassed. She  _had_  been losing weight… Even Chat Noir had made a gentle comment about it the other day. "Not since breakfast," she said.

"What?" Adrien asked incredulously. He shook his head, the skin underneath his eyes creasing from the force of his frown. "Oh, my god. I'm taking you out to eat tonight—"

"Wha—? No, Adrien, that's okay—"

"—and then I'm calling my dad to talk to him about making sure you get your breaks."

"It's fine!" Marinette said, voice cracking. She raised her hands to wave off the issue, lips forcefully curling upward as she plastered a fake smile across her cheeks. "Don't worry about it. I don't want to aggravate him. Please."

Adrien didn't respond after that. Instead, he sighed, his head turning to the side as his gaze focused on the spinning pool of laundry in the washing machine. His fingers tapped on the side of the dryer; he was thinking. Thinking for a long while.

Then, he turned back to look at her with a smile, his hand giving her a (soft, oh so _soft_ ) squeeze on her bare shoulder. "I promise I won't say anything that'll aggravate him," he said. "But please, Mari, let me get you some dinner. It's the least I can do."

"What have I done to deserve it?" she asked, half-joking.

Adrien placed an unfolded garment back down in front of him before he held up three fingers and counted them off one-by-one as he said, "Well, you're my friend, so that's one reason. Two, you said hi to me at work today and that was nice. And three, you taught me how to use a washing machine  _and_  a dryer. I think that gives me enough permission to take you out, doesn't it? Besides, I remember we had already planned to go out for some food and haven't yet, so here we are."

Marinette was genuinely touched he wanted to do something so kind for her, but she wasn't at all surprised. Kindness was in Adrien's nature—in his blood—it was just who he happened to be, inside and out. He was kind to his core.

Giving a laugh and a playful roll of her eyes, Marinette nodded in acceptance, placing another folded shirt into her basket of clean laundry. "Fine. Food  _does_  sound really great right now."

As if it could hear her, her stomach groaned in response.

"Great!" His smile blinded her. "We'll go anywhere you want."

"Anywhere?"

"Anywhere."

It was peaceful. Still, but pleasant. But that's how things with Adrien usually were.

He was such a nice person to spend time with… And so supportive and caring… Man, she really hadn't outgrown that stupid old crush, huh?

(Or maybe she just had a thing for tall, gentle boys.)

As the basket became full with her folded clothing, Adrien picked up the last shirt from the pile of dried clothes—a white tee with the Ladybug-themed Mecha Strike character on the center of the chest—and smiled, holding it up so he could see it better. "Hey, my roommate has a shirt just like this. I swear she wore it just the other day."

"Oh, yeah?" Marinette asked through a yawn. "It's a pretty popular game. Though that one is limited edition. I splurged and bought it the moment it went on sale."

"Funny," he said. "So did she."

The beep of the dryer next to hers sounded, signalling that Adrien's clothes were done as well.

The laundromat was dead. Being that they were the only two people in there, Marinette felt comfortable. It wasn't often she and Adrien got together outside of work, and even though they were simply just doing their laundry, it still felt nice to spend some time alone with him. Having him help her fold her clothes had been a plus, too.

The radio was faint as it played a slow pop song. A single fluorescent light flickered above the dryers now and again. It was quiet—full of nothing but the sound of Adrien removing his clothing from the dryer and the shuffling of fabric as he began to fold his own garments. A clock ticked on the wall across the room.

Marinette had never thought of laundromats to be anything near the definition of tranquil, but tonight it certainly felt like that title fit.

Her hand brushed Adrien's side as she approached him, fingers momentarily running over the cotton fabric of his T-shirt. "It's my turn to help you, now."

"Lucky me."

They folded his clothes together in a contented silence. The TV in the upper corner of the room played a news station in the background, the voice of the reporter mumbled and out of Marinette's mind. There hadn't been any akuma attacks today—they seemed to occur less and less often these days—so she paid no mind to its useless noise. Instead she focused on the more important matters at mind, like folding her friend's clothing, or where she'd like to go to get some food.

(From the way her stomach growled, she figured anywhere that served  _something_  hot would suffice.)

The night passed on. Once Adrien's laundry had been folded and placed in his basket, Marinette was practically falling asleep on her feet, but she couldn't blow Adrien off to go home and rest, and she absolutely could not slip into bed from exhaustion without eating dinner  _again._

Adrien's questioning smile was all she needed to choose a destination. They decided they would go out for pizza, since it was a simple meal and there was a pizza joint nearby, and it was with a pleading stomach that Marinette told Adrien she would meet him there, right after she dropped her clothes off at home in her bedroom.

He mentioned he would just keep his in his car—well, not  _his_  car, just the one he had been borrowing from his dad to drive to work in—and that he would grab them a table so she didn't have to wait. It was a small gesture, but a kind one that she appreciated.

Marinette's disappointment at finding Chat Noir absent from their apartment once she arrived home was overwhelming. Man, after a bad day, all she had really wanted to do was at least say hello to him before she went to bed… Damn.

(The way her heart ached was a familiar pain, though she elected to ignore it.)

Dinner with Adrien was nice. They shared a cheese pizza and an order of breadsticks. Marinette had laughed when a glob of cheese dripped from the crust of his slice and splattered itself on his sweatpants. It hadn't been as funny when it had happened to her as well, though, even if Adrien had gotten a kick out of it.

They talked about work and Alya and Nino's upcoming baby, about when they thought their friends would be coming for a visit, and even discussed the topic of what their own futures would be like, as well.

It was nice to know Adrien wanted kids. Three was a good number.

By the time it reached ten, Marinette felt dead. She didn't bother refusing Adrien's offer to drive her home, far too tired to deal with her own independency, practically falling asleep on the short ride to her complex. In fact, she was so out of it that she hadn't even noticed that her friend had opened the car door for her once they'd arrived in front of her building, her legs stumbling in her attempt to walk out onto the sidewalk. Luckily, Adrien caught her before she stumbled and broke her neck.

"You didn't tell me you lived here," Adrien said. He righted her to a stand, yet his hand still remained on the small of her back. "That's crazy. You live in this building?"

She smiled sleepily in response. "Mhm. Why?"

The yellow streetlamp they stood underneath illuminated the green of Adrien's eyes as they crinkled from his grin. "I do, too! How have we been living in the same complex this entire time and never noticed?"

Marinette's heart skipped not one, but multiple beats at his response. "Oh, wow! Um… Probably because of our work schedules? You know I get there early."

"Right..." Adrien was silent for a moment after that, his eyebrows furrowing and mouth still. It was almost like… Like he was staring at her, studying her face for some reason… What was he looking at? Did she have something on her face?

Oh, no, was there tomato sauce on her cheek? Why hadn't he said anything!?

She scrubbed at her skin to rid any food that might've strayed there, but even as she made sure nothing remained on her face, he was  _still_  looking at her, almost as if he was searching for something he couldn't find. As if he thought she was... Someone else…

"Adrien?" she asked, voice practically a whisper. "Everything okay?"

He blinked as if he had been startled, eyes widening for a brief moment before he shook his head and replaced the puzzled expression with a smile. "Y-yeah," he said, gaze darting to the side. "I'm—I'm fine. Sorry."

"It's okay," she said.

His hand retreated to the back of his neck, as it always did when he was nervous. "I had a nice time tonight, Marinette. You're good company. I'm—" his eyes met hers that time, and she felt a rush of  _something_  warm flow to her heart, "—I'm really glad you're my friend. Take care of yourself, okay? People care about you. I—I care about you."

It was difficult to find the words that had become so lost in her throat. All she could do was swallow and nod.

He bid her goodnight after that. She didn't miss the way his fingers just barely grazed the tips of her knuckles, or how his eyes lingered on her for longer than necessary as he walked himself inside their complex.

Her legs felt like she had just run a marathon. She… She needed to sit down.

How many minutes she sat outside by the pool, she had no idea. Her feet swished in the water as its low blue light danced over her skin, cold (yet calming) to the touch. It was past her bedtime; she really needed to be heading back up to her apartment—there was no doubt Chat Noir was home by now—yet she found peace in sitting by the poolside, legs rocking back and forth underneath the sparkling cover of pool water.

It felt nice.

Today had been nice.

Adrien was such a kind soul. Though she dearly loved her partner as her best friend, Marinette couldn't help but let the wandering thought of how it would have been having Adrien as a roommate pass through her mind, and as her heart began to swell with whatever it was that made her feel so damn  _happy,_  she felt like she was going to explode.

Her finger swirled circles into the water. She watched as it rippled out along the surface, creating a conga line of circles that flowed around the pool as if some unseen being was dancing atop its reflective sheen.

She didn't know what time it was when she finally stepped through the front door of their apartment. Half expecting to find her partner lazed about on the couch, Marinette felt saddened to see that he was in his bedroom with the door shut, no indication that he was home other than the light that filtered through the cracks in his doorway.

"Chat?" she called, voice raspy from exhaustion. "I'm home."

"Buginette's back!" he called from his room, tone cheery in contrast to her weariness. "Just give me a minute, my Lady, I'm getting dressed."

A yawn caused her to pause. "That's okay. I'm getting in the shower."

It felt freeing to finally undress after a long day of work. As she stepped in the shower and felt the warmth of the flowing water douse her back, she nearly collapsed. Her hand instinctively went to the wall to prevent herself from slipping out of the tub and cracking her head on the floor.

She was only in there for a few minutes when there came a knock on the door.

"Yeah?" she asked.

Chat Noir was barely audible over the roar of the cascading droplets. "Can I come in for a sec? I just need my makeup remover wipes. Last time I slept in a face full of concealer, my pillow was peach."

She gave a noise in affirmation, a weak chuckle rising from her lips at his comment. At this point in their relationship, their levels of comfort with each other had exceeded whatever it had ever been before they started living together. She'd seen her partner walk around their place in his boxers far too many times for her to worry about being modest, and she definitely had her fair share of wearing only T-shirts and underwear on the weekends. Besides, the shower curtain was opaque—he wouldn't see anything. Even if she was too tired to care whether or not he did at this hour.

The bathroom door opened and closed, and Chat Noir's voice followed. "How was your day, Ladybug?"

With a hum, Marinette smiled despite herself. "Really, really good."

She heard the bathroom cabinet opening, and some type of shuffling below. "That's great," Chat said. "I'm glad to hear that!"

"Mhm." The fruity scent of her shampoo filled the room as she began to scrub it into her hair. "And you?"

"Equally as good," he responded. "Aha! Here they are. Found the wipes."

"Good," she said. She squeezed her hair, washing the rest of the shampoo out. The conditioner squirted onto her palm. "You heading to bed?"

He hummed. "Nah, not yet. Just getting comfortable."

Aw. What a shame. She had almost considered letting him lay in bed with her while she talked about her day…

"I'm too tired to even finish showering," she said through a yawn. The wall of the shower was cold as she leaned back into it.

Chat Noir laughed. The sound of the cabinet opening and closing filtered through the curtain once again. "I mean, you could sleep there, but that'd be pretty uncomfortable."

"Don't tell me how to live my life," she joked.

She could practically feel her partner giving a playful roll of his eyes. "Okay, Buginette, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"Oh my god," she said, voice wavering from a laugh, "get out so I can dry off and go to bed, you peeping tom."

"I was taking my makeup off!"

She shook her head. The smile that graced her face was genuine. "Get out of here and make me some tea, pleeease."

"I'm going, I'm going. Love you, bossy."

She nearly poked her head out of the shower to stick her tongue out at him, but by the time she remembered she wasn't wearing a mask, he was gone, sounds of clinking dishes in the kitchen signalling that he was indeed making her a hot beverage.

Well, at least the end of her day had been nice. Spending time with Adrien had lifted her spirits to the moon, but coming home to Chat Noir, having him joke with her and be his all-around sweet self… She was happy. Really, really happy.

Yeah. Things had  _definitely_  been going well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> he he


	14. A Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya and Nino drop by for a surprise visit, and Marinette loosens up a little more than she'd planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

He woke up at noon.

Sunlight streamed through his open eyelids as he blinked at the harsh yellow rays. Rubbing at his eyes, Adrien sat up with a yawn, his back cracking with the force of his stretch as he rose from his bed. The wooden floor underneath his feet was cool to the touch. With his green pajama pants falling past his ankles, he allowed his body to slump as his bangs fell in front of his gaze.

Ugh. He really needed to stop sleeping so late. But with the freedom of living on his own, it became harder and harder to maintain multiple aspects in his life, including his sleep schedule and the types of foods he ate—among other things.

Adrien placed his palm to his forehead with a grimace. A headache creeped up the back of his neck.

The entire first month living with Ladybug had been a rush. At first things had been awkward—it took them a good week or two to get comfortable with sharing a living space and adjusting to each other's lifestyle—but overall, it had gone by smoothly. Better than that in Adrien's opinion, actually. Living with Ladybug had been so much  _fun_.

He barely remembered this past month other than the fact that he'd been having the time of his life. Despite being unable to control himself at times, living on his own was  _fantastic_! He could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted to do it, and nobody could stop him. Eat cake for dinner? Sure! Sleep until one? No problem! Wear nothing but boxer shorts around the house?  _Hell yes._

Ladybug didn't care. Ladybug had her own life to live and let him do whatever he wanted. And he  _loved_ having that freedom.

When it came down to it, Ladybug didn't mind how he lived.

Except, of course, when the mess in his room left little to no space for anyone to walk through, and when his laundry became a mountain in the corner, and his stomach started curling in on itself from the constant fast food and quick meals since he hadn't exactly perfected his cooking skills quite yet. Or when he realized he hadn't eaten an actual vegetable in two weeks and his sleep schedule was absolutely screwed because he stayed up until four in the morning and slept until nearly one in the afternoon.

It had only taken one comment from Ladybug about how his room looked like a tornado hit it for him to get off his ass and clean it.

He had really taken the cleaners at his childhood home for granted… Who knew that maintaining a pristine living space was hard when he didn't have someone to clean up after himself?

Thankful that he had a partner like Ladybug to help keep him from sitting on his lazy ass, Adrien smiled, glancing around his recently-cleaned bedroom as rays of afternoon sunlight trickled through his curtains and onto the rumbled sheets of his bed. The heat of the sun was comfortable against his back, but Adrien resisted the urge to curl back up on top of his blankets and instead forced himself up to a stand, where he crossed the hall to the bathroom to shower and brush his teeth.

He needed to get ready for a relaxing day off.

After he'd gotten out, he changed into a black T-shirt and jeans, made himself a quick sandwich for lunch and checked his work email, reading through boring message after message about some stupid meeting coming up or a staff dinner night—which sounded boring too, save for the fact that a staff party might mean Marinette and Chloé would be attending—and it was after ten minutes of reading and replying to various emails that he got a text from a number that was all too familiar, sending a smile to his face.

Nino had sent him a picture. Which, by all means was a normal thing this far into their friendship, but this particular photo was different. Special, in a way—a particular type of special that caused Adrien to nearly choke on his own spit, a cough rising from his blocked airway as he hacked and took in a gulp of air to steady his breathing.

It was a selfie of Nino standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, two fingers held up in an innocent peace sign with a smile that practically put a halo above his signature red baseball cap.

"That asshole," Adrien snickered. He slapped a palm to his forehead in disbelief and quickly hit the dial button, not wasting a moment as his best friend picked up the phone. "Dude, what are you doing? Where are you? You jerk, you didn't tell me you were visiting!"

Nino's responding laughter on the other line had Adrien grinning like a fool. "That's called a surprise, Adrien!"

"You're both here?"

"Of course," Nino said. "I'm not leaving my girl all the way across the ocean, are you kidding me? I'd miss her too much."

Ah, well, he could understand that. Now that they were living together, if he had to leave Ladybug behind while he visited a far away place… He'd be sad enough to cry.

(Perhaps he was a little too attached.)

"I had a question," Nino continued. "Do you have plans tonight? The four of us should go out to dinner. Besides, I've been dying to have some of Marinette's pastries again, so tell her to bring some."

Adrien gave a playful roll of his eyes. "Her parents' pastries, you mean."

"Same thing. Anyway," Nino said, the sound of wind in the background distorting his voice a bit. "Do you work today? What time does Marinette get off if she's working too? We wanna know what would be a good time and place to meet up for dinner."

"I've got the day off," Adrien said. "I think Marinette gets off at seven."

He could hear Alya's voice in the background as Nino said, "Alright. I'll see if Alya can let her know we'll be coming—"

"Or you could keep it a surprise," Adrien offered, lying his head back against the armrest of the couch. "You know, have me tell Mari that it's just us two going out, and have her see you guys waiting outside for her. That'd make her day, I'm sure."

Nino's tone brightened. "Good idea."

They'd decided they would go out to a restaurant they'd visited not long before Nino and Alya had left for California. It was a quaint place with good food, a rooftop terrace that held a live band and seats, and cylindrical fish tanks that adorned the interior. It was a little on the pricier side, but Adrien didn't mind. He was happy to take his friends out for a tasty meal and drinks any night.

(Even if Alya couldn't indulge in a night of drinking due to her being pregnant, he supposed.)

He spent the remainder of the day cleaning the apartment. He knew Ladybug would be tired by the time she got home, since his father was pushing deadlines on his employees as the mid-summer months began rolling in, and the last thing he wanted her to have to deal with was coming home to a dirty living space.

The kitchen counters were wiped, the wooden floors swept and vacuumed, the bathroom was organized and living room cleared of clutter. He fluffed the couch cushions and, after hearing Plagg incessantly complain for cheese, even went out to buy some groceries for he and Ladybug to share, as well as other household necessities like toilet paper and soap.

"I should probably call Marinette," Adrien said as he parked back home and began to unload the paper bags from his car. "I need to let her know that we're going out."

Plagg poked his head out from the bag that contained his cheese, voice muffled from the food in his mouth. "Taking your girlfriend on a date?"

Rolling his eyes with a smile, Adrien shook his head. "No, unfortunately. But we are meeting up with Alya and Nino tonight for dinner. If you're good, I might even order a cheese appetizer to go, so don't cause trouble."

He winked at his kwami, whose eyes began to sparkle with delight. The little god licked his lips as he began to salivate. "Trouble? Me? That's unheard of!"

"Yeah, sure." Adrien scratched under Plagg's chin, who responded with a purr. "Let's get these groceries inside."

As soon as he'd gone up to his apartment and set the bags on the counter, Plagg zipped out from the cover of a box of pasta noodles and dove into another bag, tossing things out as he searched for whatever it was he was looking for. "Where are they?" he asked, burrowing a hole into the neatly bagged groceries (that were now in a pile of disarray on the counter.) "Where are Tikki's cookies? You bought her some, right? It better have been chocolate chip. Those are her favorite."

Adrien grabbed the bag of dry goods that sat to the side and pulled out a container of twenty-four chocolate chunk cookies, placing it on the counter in front of his kwami. "These?"

"Perfect." Without waiting for Adrien to put them in the pantry himself, Plagg picked up the plastic container and zipped off to the windowsill next to the couch, where the two kwami had made a makeshift nest of fabrics and cotton for them to rest in. Plagg busied at the nest as he landed in it, paws brushing the soft materials around—as if he was trying to perfect it before his other half came home. He opened the pack of cookies and placed one on the side closest to the window where Tikki usually enjoyed spending her nights.

It was a funny thing to see Plagg so caught up in making their own little spot in the apartment grand enough for Ladybug's kwami. The usual sarcastic, playful nature of Plagg was reserved only for humans it seemed, because when it came to Tikki, well…

He was different. Different in a way Adrien could understand. He was the same with his partner, after all.

After putting away all of the groceries and stocking the bathroom and kitchen with the household items they'd needed, Adrien checked the time displayed on the oven. It was already three-thirty; Marinette was probably on her lunch by now, unless she'd taken it early.

He thought of her leaving her sketchbook at her desk and sitting in the breakroom, relaxing in one of the chairs and listening to the radio, mindlessly playing on her phone as she ate.

Adrien wondered what she was eating. He hoped it was something she liked, like something sweet, or perhaps a favorite meal of hers.

(But to be honest, he hoped she was at least  _eating_  at this point, knowing full well that she'd been skipping one too many lunch breaks to meet her ridiculous deadlines…

He'd tried talking to his father about it. He had. But the old grump hadn't wanted to hear it.)

So, because his stomach was starting to feel sick with worry over whether or not she had eaten enough for the day, he wasted no time in picking up his phone and dialing her number.

* * *

Marinette had just clocked out for her lunch break when her phone began ringing.

Not bothering to read the caller's name, she picked up, holding her phone in one hand and reaching into the break room fridge with the other. "Hello?" she asked, pulling out her salad and sitting at one of the tables. She opened the plastic container and poured the cup of dressing over the spinach leaves.

Adrien's voice came from the other line. "Hey, Marinette. Have you eaten yet?"

Fork in mouth, Marinette hummed in response. "Uh… Working on it."

"Good," he said. She heard shuffling come from his end. "Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner tonight. My treat."

She dropped her plastic fork on top of her food in surprise, nearly losing her phone—which Adrien had  _just_ paid to get fixed—in the process. Heartbeat quickening, she nodded before realizing that he couldn't see her, and said (a little breathlessly), "Yeah! Yeah. I'd love that. What's, um—what's the occasion?"

Of all the things he could do, Adrien  _giggled._  "Oh, no occasion. I just remembered that I had promised to take you out one night, hadn't I?"

Marinette swallowed a bite of her salad. "You just did last week when we went out for pizza."

"Yeah, but that wasn't fancy," he said. "I want to take you somewhere fancy."

"Why?" she found herself asking, because she was genuinely confused. Unless… He was asking her on a date, then somewhere fancy would be reasonable, but…  _Was_  he asking her on a date?

_Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say yes._

He  _had_  been acting more affectionate towards her lately… And she  _had_  caught him staring at her a lot as of late...

She could practically hear the smirk in his voice as he responded, "What, a friend can't take another friend out somewhere fancy and expensive?"

"I- I don't know, probably?"

Adrien laughed. "If you want to, meet me at the corner of Varenne and Vaneau at eight. I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Marinette cocked a brow in question. "For me? What is it?"

More importantly, what did she do to deserve it?

"You'll see," Adrien chuckled. "But I promise you'll like it."

The rest of her work day went by slowly after that. She went through her tasks distracted yet determined to get her work done, scolding herself every time she caught her thoughts wandering and only allowing herself to to focus on what she needed to get done for the day.

By the time seven rolled around she was exhausted—covered in cuts from accidental pricks of her sewing needles and the tips of her fingers smudged black from her pencils. Her hair was a mess and she felt hot, desperately wishing she could take a shower when she arrived home but knowing she didn't have the time.

Marinette arrived home by seven-fifteen and barely remembered to slip her mask back on before she walked through the door. It was quiet inside. With Chat Noir in his bedroom, she called his name to let him know that she was home and, after shutting her bedroom door, changed into an outfit that didn't smell like sweat (and was considerably less wrinkled, as well.)

She donned herself in a wine-red dress that had long sleeves of lace and a ruffled skirt that flowed when she walked. It reached down to mid-thigh, its neckline just below her collarbones, which gave her space to put on one of her favorite necklaces—a golden chain with a spotted ladybug charm.

Running a brush through her hair—which needed to be cut, as it was getting longer than she liked—she pulled her black tresses up into a messy bun, allowing a few strands to frame her face. Her makeup was fine; she didn't need to fix it. With black heels and a final spritz of perfume, she admired herself in her floor-length mirror and grinned, proud of how pretty she looked.

She checked her phone for the time. It was seven-forty. Time to go, Marinette decided.

Her mask stayed on her face as she knocked on Chat Noir's door. "You decent?"

He opened it not a moment later, dressed in nothing but jeans and dress socks as if he had been in the middle of changing as well, a casual grin on his face until he stopped and  _looked_  at her. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as his gaze darted from her face to her feet. He took a moment to admire her outfit before his eyes met her own, face reddening all the way down to his neck. "You- you, ah, uh, you are- my Lady!"

She laughed behind her hand. "What?" Despite how her cheeks burned at his reaction, she didn't mind the way he lost his words at her appearance. It felt nice to be thought as attractive, especially by someone who was equally as attractive as she was.

Chat ran his hands down his masked face. He groaned, "You're killing me, Ladybug. You're really killing me."

Marinette gave a playful roll of her eyes. "Oh, hush. I just wanted to let you know I'm going out for the night and that I might not be back till later tonight, so don't wait up, okay? I think there's a phone number for pizza delivery on the fridge, so—"

"Don't worry about me," Chat Noir said. "You go have fun, okay?"

Giving him a brief hug—unfazed by his shirtless state, as this was normal by now—she turned and left, grabbing her purse off of the counter as she made her way out.

"Enjoy your dinner!" Chat Noir called after her just before she shut the door.

Marinette froze in the hallway.

Dinner…? How had he known she was going out to dinner?

Huh. That was strange. Puzzled, Marinette slipped her mask into her purse and stepped inside the elevator, figuring he just assumed she was going out to eat and guessed correctly. No matter—she had somewhere to be, and a certain boy to look forward to meeting up with. There was no reason to dwell on the one she lived with.

The walk to the restaurant was short. It took her all but fifteen minutes to arrive, and the evening summer air was cool enough to where she hadn't been bothered by any sort of heat. It was a perfect night for a date, she thought.

(Her palms were sweating, and her mind was running a million miles a minute, but she wasn't thinking about it.)

Marinette's pulse quickened as she approached the front doors, but something stopped her. There was a feminine voice she swore she'd heard over her computer just a few days ago; a voice she'd never forget. One that she'd talked to nearly every day ever since the owner had left her on a flight to California less than a year ago. A voice that belonged to—

"Surprise!"

Marinette screamed. Sounds of pure joy burst from her lips as her eyes set sight on her best friend, who had apparently travelled all the way from California and was  _somehow_  standing in front of her outside the restaurant she had planned to meet Adrien at. Her heart was pounding. She couldn't contain her excitement as she propelled herself into Alya, her muddled feelings of glee and anger for not being told that she was visiting overflowing her tiny body and sending her eyes to water with a bucket of tears.

Oh, great. There came the waterworks.

Alya smelled of lavender and honey. Her rounded stomach pressed into Marinette's own as they held each other for the first time in what felt like  _eons_ , Alya's lips connecting to her cheek in a friendly greeting that made Marinette's throat tighten with the threat of a sob.

It felt so nice to be able to see her best friend again. To be able to hold her, feel her and  _look_  at her, as if they hadn't properly spoken to each other in years; as if this was a dream she never wanted to wake from. Alya was back. Alya was  _home._  And, as her friend's hands rubbed up and down her arms, Marinette felt as if this night couldn't possibly get any better.

That is, until she glanced over Alya's shoulder and saw Nino smiling at her tear-streaked face, his hand outstretched in a wave.

"Oh my  _god_ ," she cried, squeezing Alya in a tight hold. A thought flashed in her mind that caused her to pull back, however, and she hastily apologized as she remembered that she was currently carrying a tiny human inside of her. "I'm sorry! Did I hug you too tight? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"

Alya laughed, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "I'm fine, 'Nette. I'm only pregnant, not dying."

Marinette sighed in relief.

Wow… Alya was positively glowing. She looked stunning; her red hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, thick locks draping over her bare shoulders and falling nearly down to her chest. Her hair was getting long—it looked like she hadn't cut it in months. Marinette found she liked that, though. It really worked for her.

Her dress was knee length, black with off-the-shoulder long sleeves. Around her neck was a silver necklace, a matching pair of earrings dangling from her ears. She wasn't wearing heels, Marinette noticed—probably due to the fact that her feet were swollen from pregnancy.

Her baby-bump was just noticeable. Marinette had to repress the urge to cry uncontrollably for how happy she was for her best friend. Her hands reached forward momentarily but she hesitated and pulled back, terribly wanting to feel for any sort of life that might be stirring within her friend, but also respecting her personal boundaries. Although there had never really been any between the two of them in the first place.

Still, it didn't hurt to ask. "C-can I—?"

"Of course," Alya chuckled.

It was weird to feel her friend's swollen belly, knowing full well that there was a growing child inside. Though there were no kicks or any movement to be felt, Marinette smiled still, finding the whole situation overwhelming. Sure, it was a little surreal to know that her best friend since college was going to have a baby when she herself hadn't had much luck in the romance department, but it was nice, too. Nice to know that soon she'd have a little niece or nephew to look after—because while she and Alya weren't related, there was no way in hell she would let her friend's kid go without calling her "Aunt Marinette."

"You're so mean," she said, a smirk gracing her lips as she teased Alya, removing her hands from her stomach and meeting her eyes. "You flew all the way here without even  _telling_  me, you ass! I would have gotten you guys gifts and baby stuff if I had known!"

Nino stuffed his hands in the pockets of his dress pants as he let out a laugh. "Be mad at Adrien," he said. "He's the one who wanted to make this a surprise."

Jaw dropping, Marinette leaned forward, eyes bulging. "Adrien  _knew!?"_

"Knew what?"

Turning around so fast she swore she'd given herself whiplash, Marinette's face reddened at the simple sight of Adrien. Though "simple" wasn't the best choice of words, because he looked anything  _but_  simple—with his lean frame dressed in a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his just above his elbows, black jeans and a leather belt to match, he looked  _good._  No, better than that—he looked hot!

She swallowed. Her throat felt dry.

(Could they go inside so she could order a glass of water?)

"A-Adrien," she breathed. Standing up straight, she gave an awkward wave.

It was amazing how one cute guy could make her entire brain malfunction.

Adrien stood next to her, the thin fabric of his shirt brushing against her bare arm. His expression was soft as he gazed at her outfit, his head cokcing to the side in a way that was endearing. His eyes glowed with affection as he said, "I like that dress. You look pretty, Marinette."

"Oh, thanks," she said, a hint of laughter in her voice. "You look pretty too."

Adrien's responding smile was one that could light up the sky. "Thank you!"

"Marinette didn't like the surprise," Nino joked, throwing his arms around his best friend and wrapping him in a tight bear-hug. "She's mad that you wanted to keep our visit a secret."

Squeezing Nino in his hold, Adrien laughed. "But I only found out today when you were already in the city!"

"Because we were trying to surprise both of you! But Nino  _had_  to send a picture." Alya stepped over to the two tallest of the group and shoved herself between her fiancé and his best friend for a well-deserved group hug. "Marinette, get on in here. We're having a bonding moment."

Unwilling to be left out, Marinette's cheeks hurt from how wide her smile spread as her friends opened their arms to her, squeezing herself into their hold. It was warm; full of love and laughter and joy; a feeling that made her heart beat with the unmistakable memory of  _home._  This was her happy place—here with her friends—and it had been too long since she'd last felt the comforting embrace of their arms and the heat that radiated off of their entwined bodies.

"I love you guys," Marinette said. Her eyes began to water a second time. "I've missed you so much."

"I missed you both, too," Adrien added. Marinette felt the arm he held around her tighten. "How long are you staying for?"

Pulling away from the hug, Alya and Nino shared a glance before Alya gestured with her hand towards the glass restaurant doors. "Let's get our table, and then we'll talk."

Marinette couldn't ignore the way Adrien kept his hand against the small of her back as they walked inside the dimly-lit restaurant. Her pulse raced, fingers clenching on the strap her her purse and eyes trained on the floor.

Could he just keep his hand there? Forever?

They were seated in the back at a booth in front of one of the restaurant's many fish tanks that dotted the interior. The light from the water illuminated the surface of the table, its wooden finish glowing a faint blue. While Alya and Nino sat on one side, Adrien joined Marinette on the other, and the four of them glanced over their menus as they chatted.

His hand momentarily brushed her own as he lifted his menu. The cool metal of his ring grazed her fingers. "So, how long are you guys here for?" he asked, directing his attention to their visitors. "And where are you staying?"

Hands intertwining, Alya and Nino smiled in unison.

"Just two weeks, for now," Alya said. Her hazel eyes sparkled in excitement. "We're actually looking for houses—"

"—so we can move back not long after the baby's born," Nino finished, shooting an apologetic look to his fiancée for interrupting her. Alya gave a playful roll of her eyes and patted his hand.

"We would have liked to find a place before she arrived," she said. Her thumb moved in circles over her partner's skin, caressing his hand like it was her favorite thing to hold. "But time isn't exactly on our side, and while we're not short on money, we—"

"Wait, wait," Marinette said. She lifted up a hand to stop her friend in her tracks. "'She?' You're having a girl?!"

Adrien chimed in. "How far along are you, now?" he asked, placing his reading glasses on the collar of his shirt, as it seemed he had already decided what he was ordering as his entree.

What a shame. She'd always loved how he looked when he wore those things…

(Funny. Those glasses looked almost identical to Chat Noir's, now that she thought about it…)

"Eighteen weeks," Alya replied. A hand went to her stomach. "So… A little over four months."

"Wow," Marinette breathed. "It's still hard to believe, to be honest."

"For us, too," Nino said. "But we're excited."

The waiter came to take their orders, politely interrupting their conversation. He held a bottle of wine in his hands with an offer to fill their glasses, and immediately all eyes went to Alya.

She laughed. "Hey, don't worry about me. You guys have your fun. I'm only here for the food."

The wine was a familiar bitterness on her tongue as Marinette placed her lips to the rim of her glass.

"So, where were you guys thinking of moving?" Adrien asked as he sipped his wine. "Somewhere close or more towards the suburbs?"

Nino shot a text before pocketing his phone, eyes bright as he replied, "Well, we were hoping for a house with a yard, but anything that's available is either just outside city limits or too far away from where we grew up. So we're actually scouting for some larger apartments with two or three floors. Kind of like the home you grew up in, Marinette."

Smiling at that, she swirled her wine around in her glass. It was a red—one of her favorites—and she had tomorrow off, so there was no harm in doing a little drinking.

"I hope you guys find some place nice," she said. "Hopefully somewhere close to us. I'm always up for babysitting, you know."

Alya snickered. "Baby's not even born yet and my girl is already trying to steal her away."

"I'm just saying," Marinette laughed, finishing her glass, "that if you need baby help, don't be afraid to ask."

"Oh, I won't. Trust me." Alya smirked. "If this kid starts driving me insane you bet you're watching her for a week while I take a vacation in the Bahamas."

Nino placed his hands on his fiancée's stomach, grinning. "Don't listen to your mom, kid. We love you!"

The waiter returned shortly after to bring them their food, and they took a moment's silence to begin eating. It wasn't long before they were talking again, and after Nino had told the group a story about a surprise streaker at one of his recent shows, Marinette had found herself laughing, immensely enjoying her time out with her best friends for the first time in what felt like ages.

She was glad to see that Adrien was having a good time, too. He'd been working almost as much as she had as of late, and all she'd wanted for him these past few weeks was for him to find an opportunity to wind down and be his goofy self rather than stiffly posing for the camera for hours on end.

Adrien's eyes met hers. Caught staring, she sipped at her second (third?) glass of wine and looked away.

"Hey," Adrien said, turning his attention back to his other friends, "I bet I can guess what you guys missed most about Paris while you were gone."

Nino poured himself another glass of wine. "Besides the food and decent gun laws?"

With a laugh, Adrien said, "The akuma attacks."

Alya tapped him on the arm. "Oh, fuck you. I'm so glad that we don't have to deal with those anymore. But I'll be honest, I miss seeing Ladybug and Chat Noir in person. They're still so cool, and watching online footage isn't enough, you know? I have to be there for the real deal. I have to be the one to film it."

Though she'd given up the Ladyblog long ago to pursue her career in journalism, Alya had never lost her passion for capturing photos of the elusive superheroes. Marinette made a mental note to say hi to her in costume the next time Alya was taking a stroll through the city. Maybe she could coerce Chat into dropping in as well...

Her mouth tasted like alcohol as the night carried on. Licking her lips, Marinette poured herself another glass of wine, her eyes captivated by the way the red liquid spilled from the bottle. It swirled and splashed into the bowl of her glass until it was filled just a little over halfway, and her hands felt as if they were moving in slow motion as she set the bottle down with a soft clink against the table.

Was this her fourth glass? Fifth? She didn't know.

Adrien was talking. She wasn't sure what he was saying, but all she knew was that she  _loved_  the sound of his voice. If he could just keep talking… That would be nice. Shifting her gaze towards him, her lips curled into a wide smile, cheeks hurting from the force of her grin. He was making conversation with Nino, who—judging by the look on his face—had drank a little more than he had expected to. But it was the same in her case, anyway.

Adrien looked so… So good, so- so  _nice._  He looked so nice sitting there with his hair brushed and his bangs combed to the side, green eyes radiating warmth like a summer's afternoon when the sun had reached its peak in the sky. He looked so  _nice_  with the top two buttons of his shirt undone, white sleeves rolled up to above his elbows and lips moving as he spoke, that soft, gorgeous voice resonating deep within her very soul…

Oh, wow.

She felt good. Adrien looked good. Tonight was  _good._

Everything was really bubbly and happy and Marinette just loved the way his mouth parted when he talked, how his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed his drink—yes, the same one he'd been nursing since the waiter had first offered them a glass—and she adored how his face lit up as he laughed, his dimples prominent with every smile. She wanted to kiss them, those cute little things—she wanted to kiss them and his lips and just him in general. She wanted to kiss him so  _bad._

...Was she drunk?

_Oh, god,_  she lamented internally. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as Adrien caught her staring for the thousandth time that night. She quickly averted her eyes.  _I'm drunk and he knows I'm drunk._

Time to crawl in a hole and die!

"Marinette?" Adrien asked, his voice like honeyed silk. "Hey, Mari, you okay?"

"I have to pee," she said, intelligently allowing  _that_  statement to pass her lips against her better judgement, which had flown out the window ever since she'd first popped open the wine bottle.

Adrien's lips twitched into a slight grin, clearly amused. "Oh, sorry. Let me let you out." He slid from the booth, standing out of her path as she scooched down the seat, legs wobbly as her feet touched the floor.

Ugh. Did she really have to wear heels tonight? Did she really? Wasn't she fine just being short? Shortness was fine. Shortness was cute. She was cute as hell, short legs and all.

Oh, fuck. She had to pee.

"I'll be right back," she murmured, brushing past Adrien as she made her way to the restrooms. Adrien grabbed hold of her hand, however, steadying her feet as she stumbled.

He squeezed her knuckles. His eyes were velvet as he gazed down at her. "Hey, woah, slow down. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she insisted. She wasn't. But she was, damn it. "Just… Really gotta pee."

"Let me walk you."

Well. Alright. No way in hell she'd refuse a walk with him.

Adrien led her down the hallway, the pad of his thumb rubbing slow, gentle circles into her skin. The world felt dizzy as she followed his lead down a fuzzy sort of path that was the hallway to the restroom, and she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her as Adrien told her he'd wait outside for her, the concern in his gaze oddly familiar yet not unwelcome.

Marinette wasn't sure how long she was in there. All she knew was that she was tired and that she felt a little sick, and her face burned with the heat of her blush as she realized that the last time Adrien had seen her drunk was Christmas—which, albeit many months ago, was worse than the state she was in currently—and it was just so  _embarrassing_ , because oh, she was such an emotional drunk, and now that she was alone in the bathroom thinking about how sweet and kind of a person he was, and how selfless he was to get up from his friends he hadn't seen in months to look after  _her_  of all people had her eyes welling up with tears.

She could feel Tikki's comforting touch against her arm as the little god emerged from her purse. "Are you okay?" she asked, tone delicate. "What happened, Marinette?"

"I'm okay, Tikki," she said. "I'm… I'm alright."

Was she?

Ugh. She hated feelings. She hated that she was so in love with Adrien's dumb face (it wasn't  _dumb,_  no, no) and she hated that she was staring at herself in the bathroom mirror with reddened eyes and a headache, wishing she could go home with him and curl up into his bed and kiss him all over, his roommate be damned.

Marinette wanted to kiss him so  _much._

"'Nette? You in here?"

Alya's voice broke her out of her stupor. Tikki zipped back into her purse in a blur of red.

Turning her head, Marinette sighed as her friend entered the bathroom, making quick work to wipe at the budding tears that threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes. Her mind felt thick with mist. "I'm h-here," she murmured, voice cracked and slurred. "I'm… fine." She had to place a hand on the counter to steady herself.

The look Alya shot her was one of disbelief. "No you're not," she said, approaching her with an arm draping around her waist, "you're crying. Why?"

Marinette shook her head. "I… I don't know."

"Are you sure?" Producing a tissue from her purse, Alya stood in front of her best friend and began to dab at her damp cheeks, brushing a strand of hair that hung loosely from her bun behind her ear. "You know you can talk to me, Marinette. Just because this is my first full day back in Paris doesn't mean that I'm not going to be here for you. You're my bestie, remember?"

Another sigh shuddered from Marinette's body. She placed her head on Alya's shoulder, her forehead pressed into the warmth of her neck. The scent of her perfume was strong and inviting. "I'm drunk."

"Well, that part was obvious," Alya laughed. She wrapped her arms around her. "Nino is, too. I'm surprised Adrien is still sober, but he did drive here, so…"

A whine rose from Marinette's lips. "Ugh, Adrien… Why's he gotta be so cute, Alya? Why do I have to like him so much… I thought for the longest time I was—I was done with that boy. But now, I…" Her thoughts were a muddled mess of emotions. "I don't know. I don't know! I'm so mad at him."

Why was she crying?

_Why am I crying!?_

Alya's voice was gentle. "Why are you mad? You guys are living together still, right? Did he do something?"

"No," Marinette said. "No, he'd never. He'd never be bad to me…"

"Then what's going on?"

Truth be told, Marinette was a little envious. Here Alya was, twenty-two and four months pregnant with a gorgeous ring on her finger, happily in love in a successful, long-term relationship. Alya was lucky. Alya had everything Marinette could have ever wanted in a relationship. Of course she was elated that her best friend was so happy, and she couldn't have been prouder that Alya was going to get married and be a  _mom,_  but…

At the same time, Marinette wanted that, too. Not kids—no, not yet—but she  _was_  lonely… Really lonely.

Oh, if only she'd had the courage to confess to Adrien when they were younger… Maybe they would be at the same point Alya and Nino were at, now…

(Or perhaps, if Adrien hadn't felt the same way, things would have grown increasingly awkward, and their friendship might have suffered… So maybe it was best this way.)

"I'm mad that he's so cute, and so great, and I can't have him," she bemoaned. Alya was practically holding her up at this point. "And I'm- I'm mad that he's got this crush on someone else but he acts like he's crushing on me, too, and all this past week at work he's been  _looking_  at me as if I'm someone else, like he- he recognizes another person... in me. And I'm dying inside because every time he says hi to me in the halls I just want to pull him into a closet and take off his shirt and—"

"Woah!" Alya laughed, pushing Marinette back a bit to gaze into her eyes with amusement. "Down, girl. You know, if you're so desperate to climb up that tree, why don't you just tell him how you feel? I'm sure Adrien would—"

Marinette whined. She leaned against the counter, staring down into the drain of the sink as if the answer to all of her life's problems would magically pop out of the pipes. She felt nauseous. Frustrated, she resisted the urge to bang her head against the mirror. "Can't," she mumbled. "I can't, Alya. I'm no- no good with relationships… I've never even  _been_  with anyone before in that way, I wouldn't know what to—"

"So what?" Alya asked. She stood behind her, letting Marinette's hair loose and brushing it out before fixing her bun. "There's no shame in being a virgin. You'll get there when you get there, and that's nobody's business but your own. Don't feel embarrassed about it. Some people have those experiences at younger ages and some don't. It's fine."

Still, Marinette's cheeks burned as the world floated around her.

"C'mon," encouraged Alya, giving her a pat on the back, "let's fix your makeup and go back out to our boys. They're probably wondering where we are."

* * *

When Marinette came back out of the bathroom, Adrien noticed the edges of her eyes were stained a light red. His heart dropped a few inches in his chest when she refused to meet his gaze, walking past him with Alya at her side.

"Hey," he said, speaking as softly as he could as he approached her from behind. Instinctively his hand brushed her own—it felt like a breath of fresh air as she welcomed his touch, allowing their fingers to thread together as if that's how they were made to be. "Hey, Mari… What's going on?"

"She's fine," Alya said. She gave him a reassuring look. "She's just tired and very, very drunk."

Well, he knew that. But it didn't stop him from feeling concerned for her well being. What if she was feeling sick, or- or she needed to lie down somewhere? What if her feet hurt from those heels?

He should take her home. He wanted to take her home and let her rest and tell her that things were going to be okay in the morning. He wanted to let her sleep in for  _once_ , and when she rose out of her bed he wanted to present her with a plate of her favorite breakfast foods (though he wasn't that great of a cook) like he'd often found her making on the mornings he woke up early enough to steal a taste.

"I'm f-fine…" Marinette told him. She swayed as she walked, her balance inhibited from the alcohol. "Hey, Adrien?"

His heart skipped a beat at the sound of his name. "Yeah?"

"I want cake really bad. Do they have cake here?"

"They do," Adrien said, cocking a brow in amusement. "Do you want some?"

Alya laughed. "We can order dessert."

With a slice of chocolate cake in front of her, Marinette's mood had considerably brightened. In fact, she was feeling so up in spirits that every time he looked at her she  _smiled_  so big, and every time he spoke to her he could see light sparkle in her eyes, the way her cheeks dusted pink with a blush, and how happy she became just from a simple sentence being directed at her. It was adorable, to be honest, and Adrien knew that for a fact. Her smile was too blinding for him to not find it endearing.

Alya and Nino left to the bathroom after a while, so for a few minutes it was just Marinette and himself. She was out of it, yes, but her laughter was enough to keep him entertained. Sure, her speech was a little slurred and she was acting much like she had on Christmas when he'd last seen her drunk, but it was a refreshing sight to see her out and having fun instead of being stuck at a desk all day, working herself to death at a job that didn't pay her enough for the amount of passion she carried.

(He seriously needed to have his dad give her a promotion or a raise or  _something_.)

"You're beautiful," Marinette said suddenly, causing Adrien to give a flattered blink of surprise.

"Oh. Thank you," he said, rubbing at the back of his neck. His voice wavered as he replied, "S-so are you, Mari."

She scooted closer to him, fingers running down the skin of his arm as she placed her cheek on his bicep. "Adrien," she breathed, voice quiet, face nuzzling against his arm. He could smell the wine on her breath. "If I asked you a question, would you answer?"

"Of course," he said.

"Would... It be a good answer?"

Those big blue eyes met his own, and Adrien swore he was going to  _melt._ "It depends on the question, I guess," he said.

There was a pause. Then, with her gaze trained on her empty plate, she whispered, "If I told you that… That I wanted to kiss you, would you? Kiss me?"

He looked at her lips.

His heart felt like it had just jumped into his throat. He wanted to say, "yes." He wanted to tell her that he'd been in love with her for years—ever since she'd first introduced herself by trapping them suspended in the air and calling herself clumsy—and that he'd do anything just to know she felt the same way. He wanted to scoop her up and kiss her cheeks and lips and face and tell her that he'd never say no to that question, ever, not once in his life.

But she was drunk. And she wasn't herself.

Instead, he smiled. Placing one of his hands over her own and giving it a gentle squeeze, he said, "Ask me that question again when you're sober, and then we'll see."

She seemed content with that response.

The night went on, the four of them sharing laughs and stories of how their lives had been while living across the ocean from each other, and at one point Nino had spilled his glass of wine on the table, which Marinette had found hilarious. The two of them both had consumed a little too much wine, but so long as they got home safety, Adrien didn't mind. It was actually pretty entertaining to see Marinette and Nino laughing over every little thing someone said or did, and if he hadn't needed to drive home, he might've joined them in their drinking.

Adrien began to feel the beginnings of sleep clutch at the back of his mind. He remained at the table, though, watching Marinette's eyes droop as she swayed. His shoulder had become her pillow at this point—that is, until he had made a quick trip to the bathroom and came back to find Alya combing her fingers through the hair of her best friend, who had fallen asleep with her head propped up on her arms.

It was then Adrien knew that it was time to go home.

With the bill paid and an apology to the restaurant staff for staying so long, Adrien watched as Alya attempted to wake their sleeping friend. Maris only groaned and grumbled in resistance as she urged her to get up. With a roll of her eyes, Alya asked, "Adrien, you're sober, right?"

Adrien nodded. He'd only had one glass. "I'm fine. I'll take her home with me."

"Alright," Alya said. She flashed him a kind smile. "Hopefully she won't kick you for waking her up. Marinette's so mean when she gets woken up sometimes, it's funny."

"Oh, I'm aware," Adrien laughed. "I live with her, remember?"

Lifting her from the booth with a hand supporting her head, Adrien relished in the warmth of her body heat, his heart picking up its pace she pressed her face against his chest. The roll of thunder greeted the group as they walked outside, and as delicate droplets of water began to careen from the sky, Adrien made haste to get Marinette to his car as quickly as possible.

Her hair was soft against the tips of his knuckles as he supported her head, thin wisps of black tresses that carded through his fingers like silk. The road was dark—the yellow street lamps casting a faint golden glow across Marinette's face as a breeze kissed his back, paired with the chill of pale moonlight—and the fabric of her dress brushed against his hands once he set her down in the back of his car.

Marinette was beautiful. That was no mystery. Adrien had known that since he was fourteen and stumbled into their collège homeroom for the first time, seven years ago and counting. She was breathtaking, really, even when she was angry or upset, or on the rare circumstance, completely wasted in the backseat of his borrowed Maserati.

He shook his head with a smile gracing his lips. She was funny like that, laughing and flirting and throwing her social filter completely in the trash, and he couldn't help but cover a hand over his mouth as he stifled a laugh. He glanced to the backseat to make sure that he hadn't stirred her rest.

Alya approached him from behind and he welcomed the hug she pulled him into, giving her a light squeeze and a promise to see them both again soon. Nino did his best to stand upright as Adrien wrapped his arms around him and bid the pair goodnight.

With his friends gone and Marinette resting in his car, Adrien sat down in the driver's seat and buckled up, glancing toward the rear-view mirror to check on her. She was sitting there with a content expression on her face, which eased his nerves about whether or not she was feeling sick.

He was relieved to see her so deep asleep. She needed her rest; he'd let her sleep the whole way home. He'd hate to be the one to wake her after a grueling last few weeks as one of his father's junior designers. Marinette had been stressed to the point of tears as of late, but he didn't blame her—the summer line was something his father took seriously, and his employees tended to suffer from his "all-work, no-break" attitude.

It made Adrien happy to see her sitting so peacefully in the backseat, red-flushed cheek pressed against the window, which was foggy and cool from the beginning showers of rain outside. Her hair was messy, cascading from the bun it had been so perfectly pulled into just a few hours before, and her eyelashes twitched against her freckles as she dozed, oblivious to the world outside her dreams. It was cute— _she_  was cute.

He hoped she was feeling okay. He hadn't seen her like—like  _that_  since last Christmas, when she'd attempted to steal an entire ham. But he hadn't been much better then, either.

At least he was sober now. Unlike his friends, he'd gone light on the drinking tonight. Save for Alya, of course, who was four months pregnant and couldn't swallow a drop of alcohol. But they had fun regardless.

Dinner had tasted great, they'd told jokes and laughed until they couldn't breathe, and Adrien had been able to spend time with his best friend again. He hadn't really realized how much he'd missed Nino until he enveloped him in the tightest bear-hug he could manage, since the last time they'd touched each other was when Nino had left him at the airport before he boarded his flight to California.

It felt so  _good_  to have everyone together again. And the fact that Alya and Nino were scouting places to live in the area was even better. Especially since they'd be moving back to Paris just a little while after their daughter was born.  _Daughter_ , he had to keep reminding himself, because it was still so surreal that Nino was going to have a  _baby_.

Marinette shifted slightly in the backseat. Glancing back at her, Adrien started up the car, thankful that the engine was quiet. The rain poured on outside as he drove. Gutters were flowing with water, the asphalt slick from the storm that raged above them. Neon lights of shops and restaurants passed by like blurred dots in the night, reflecting in the various puddles that scattered the sidewalks and streets. Most people were inside in this kind of weather—it was past midnight, as well—so the city was calm save for the one or two civilians that hurried by in their umbrellas and rain boots, splashing in the pools as they went.

The drive home was quiet.

As he pulled into their complex, Adrien unbuckled, his bangs blowing from his forehead as he let out a sigh. He'd wait until the rain stopped before he brought Marinette home, he decided. He really didn't care for the idea of waking his friend with a splash of rainwater in the face. She might get sick!

His arms, cold from the air conditioning blasting against his damp skin, wrapped themselves around his body while he sat. The clock on his dash read twelve-forty-five A.M. Sleepiness had long since trickled its way into his eyelids, but Adrien fought it off with a yawn, resting his head against the headrest after a stolen glance at his friend in the backseat. She was still asleep, thankfully—but she did look uncomfortable with her neck turned like that, shoulder against the locked door and lips parted just slightly.

Adrien's face hurt from how wide he smiled.

The rain stopped after about fifteen minutes. Switching off the engine and stuffing his car keys into his pocket, he stood from the vehicle, his foot making contact with a poorly-placed puddle that sent a chill up his spine.

Oh, nice. Now he'd have to dry his shoes outside on the balcony for the night.

He opened the door Marinette was leaning on and caught her before she slipped out of the car. It was surprising, seeing her still deep asleep after she'd nearly fallen into a puddle, but Adrien guessed it shouldn't have been. She'd drank enough to last her all the way until tomorrow—and he knew for a fact Marinette normally didn't drink much. Not around him, at least.

She was light in his arms, the fabric of her dress damp from the trickling raindrops that fell from the overhang of the complex roof as he carried her. A strap began to slide down her shoulder. He fixed it before it could travel too far.

Thankfully there was nobody in the lobby as he carried her through it—he really hadn't been in the mood to explain to wandering eyes why he was carrying an unconscious girl up to his apartment, even if his intentions were purely to put her to bed with some aspirin and a glass of water on the nightstand by her side.

The elevator ride was agonizingly slow. He was so  _tired_. All he wanted to do was tuck Marinette in and crash hard into his own bed, pajamas be damned. It was late and he was a little cranky, and he really wanted to take his shoes off, but—

But as Marinette nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, and the tip of her nose grazed the surface of his heated skin with the slightest accidental brush of her lips to his collarbone, he felt over the moon. The night couldn't possibly get any better now, not when she was here with him. Nothing could compare to the giddiness he felt inside.

Her breath was hot against him, warming him with every gentle exhale. It was a welcome change from the rainwater that chilled him to the bone.

The elevator dinged as it hit their floor.

She was so soft, he thought, carrying her effortlessly down the hall. So  _soft_  and warm and she smelled so sweet, even as the scent of alcohol tainted her breath. She was soft and she was  _home_ here in his arms—at least, she was to him—and nothing had ever felt more right than it did in this moment _._

Adrien was happy. Happy to be awake and here with Marinette and happy that he was able to bring her home safely to the warmth of their place, where a clean, cozy bed was awaiting her, beckoning him to place her down in its embrace.

He nearly tripped over the welcome mat as he entered the apartment. He used his shoulder to turn on the living room light so he wasn't fumbling around in the dark with his sleeping friend in his arms, careful to step around the couch instead of slamming his body into it like he'd done one too many times late after work when the lights were off and he didn't want to disturb his Lady.

The trek to her bedroom was a short one. With his foot he opened the door, eyes squinting in the black of the night. His feet navigated blindly around the floor as nothing but the pale moonlight permeated through the curtains that hung in front of the window, white and shining from the glimmer of the moon. With a wince he stepped on something hard and had to force his teeth down on his bottom lip to suppress the curse he so badly wanted to emit.

_Damn it, Ladybug, you're always on_ my _ass about cleaning up_ my _shit,_ he thought, smiling despite himself. There was no way Adrien could stay mad at her.

His fingers combed through Marinette's hair as he leaned over the bed. Palm connected to the back of her head, he lowered her until her shoulders connected with the cushioning of her pillows, allowing her to relax atop the bedsheets. Her hands—so delicate and warm to his touch—were curled into loose fists, and as he trailed his fingers down her bare arm, his cheeks blossomed with color, heart swelling with affection. He sat next to her in the darkness, no light nor sound rising in the air save for the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

It was strange, how perfectly their hands interlocked—almost as if his large, calloused fingers were meant to fold between her own thin ones. Her knuckles were smooth as he ran his thumb over them, taking in every inch, every detail of the way it felt so simply hold her in his grasp. He moved her bangs away from her eyes, the movement causing his ring to clink against the metal of her earrings—and he smiled, because he knew those earrings. He'd known them for a little while, now. And though the information was still overwhelming, Adrien knew he couldn't be more excited with what he'd learned.

His heart was erratic in his chest. Breathing in, he gave her hand a squeeze before he stood from her bed and began to exit her room, but he paused in her doorway to glance back at her one last time.

"Night, Ladybug," he said to her. "Sleep well."

Then he shut her door, switched out the hall light, and went to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahahaha  
> ahahahAAHA  
> im not sorry.
> 
> if you have any questions about how he realized it, don't worry! those will all be answered in the next update as we go over adrien's thought process and what exactly had been going through his mind throughout the past few weeks. so... don't yell at me if it doesn't all make sense yet, it will eventually lmao

**Author's Note:**

> it's best to say that I'm not entirely 100% sure how this whole thing is gonna work out but I'm not here for the logistics, man
> 
> dont really care how plausible this is
> 
> just here for some ladynoir fluff and fun times tbh so like. if i do something completely wrong. rest assured that i do not care that much
> 
> if you want to see more of my writing, you can follow me on tumblr! my url is [frostedpuffs.](http://frostedpuffs.tumblr.com) i also do art sometimes
> 
> thank you for reading!!!!


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